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Schoolchildren as young as 14 are to be offered adult jobs such as repairing roads and clerical work in a bid to give them a "work ethic".
Islington council wants to pay new "junior assistants" £25 to work up to eight hours a week, which it hopes will break the cycle of unemployment in deprived areas of the borough.
Council leader Catherine West said: "It may be entry-level jobs like delivering post to schools or helping with highway repairs or photocopying and filing, or making tea and coffee for meetings. These are real council roles and it's about trying to develop a work ethic earlier than 17 or 18.
"We hope young people can get into jobs before they get a lot of free time on their hands and start mixing with people who may not be the best mentors in the world." She added that child staff would be supervised by adult workers and hoped the move would lead to the council returning to being the "employer of choice" of local people.
The Labour-run authority faces an £18 million cut in its government grant and will soon sack 140 more staff, but denied using children to fill adult posts. Islington's bylaws state that 14-year-olds can undertake light work as long as their safety or education is not compromised.
Child employees will work after school or on Saturdays and will be entitled to the £3.68 per hour minimum wage of a worker aged 16.
According to a council report into inequality, Islington has the second highest rate of child poverty in England, with no one working in more than three quarters of the poorest households.
A pilot scheme will begin on the Andover Estate in Finsbury Park, which suffers chronic unemployment and was branded a "dump" by former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe in 2007 when she stayed there for an ITV documentary Ann Widdecombe Vs The Hoodies. She described the estate as "very nasty, very threatening" and the youngsters living there as "thugs".
Andover estate resident John Whicher, a retired environmental health officer, said: "We get a lot of kids hanging around without anything to do, so I think getting them into employment is a good idea. Luckily, at 14, they are too young to take anybody's job."
Opposition Lib-Dem leader Terry Stacy said: "This project is ill thought-out and a return to Victorian workhouses. How many council roles happen after 5.30pm or on Saturdays? What they should be considering is viable work experience linked to the curriculum."
Reader views (4)
The opposition leader was just applying knee-jerk criticism. Is that really necessary?
- Jon, London, 04/01/2012 18:49
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A great idea! Well done, Islington - let's hope (and encourage) other councils to do the same all across the UK.
- ID, South Coast, UK, 04/01/2012 16:22
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This is an excellent idea.
"viable work experience linked to the curriculum." - rubbish, many of these kids couldn't get a job or work experience anywhere. Why not start where they actually live and give them a stake in their own neighbourhood? After working for a while they will gain confidence and self-respect and the respect of their neighbours and community.
That's how to break the vicious cycle of deprivation - make young people feel valued and respected for their contribution, no matter how small. And above all, give them the opportunity to prove themselves, first in small things and then in bigger things.
Or perhaps you'd prefer them to hang around the estate all day with nothing to do and no money waiting for the non-existant job offers and work experience to come to them?
- SarahN, London, UK, 04/01/2012 13:19
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Opening up a few of those disused Coal Mines would help.
- Davey_Buoy, Chertsey, 04/01/2012 11:41
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