MORE young people should be employed by Wiltshire Council, a report has recommended.

Figures prepared for a council committee show that only 6.24 per cent of the council’s workforce last year was under the age of 25, compared with 16 per cent of the Wiltshire working population.

And more than half of the 329 under 25s in the council’s non-school departments were part-time workers. The report to the council’s staffing policy committee prepared by Amanda George, HR policy and reward manager, says the council is taking steps to employ more young people and is working on plans including “developing our employee brand to help attract this age group”.

Other options include offering more apprenticeships and traineeships and more “lower level entry roles”. The report shows that the biggest age group in the council’s non-schools workforce was 45 to 55 year olds, who amounted to more than 28 per cent.

The figures also show that in April last year:

• There were 334 people above the age of 65 working for the council.

• 176 employees were of black and minority ethnic origin, amounting to 1.34 per cent of the workforce.

• Some 1.3 per cent of the total workforce declared a disability.

• 7,170 out of a total 10,777 female employees worked in schools.

• Of 2,400 male employees, 734 worked in schools,

• 739 staff had worked for the council for more than 20 years.

The report also shows that 62 per cent of vacancies (excluding schools) were filled by women, which the report says, is “broadly reflective of the current workforce split, which is 68.4 per cent female and 31.6 male”.

There were 108 disciplinary cases in 2012-2013 and 16 grievance procedures. Figures also show that 283 non-schools staff were earning more than £40,000 per year.