Overall, 69% of employers knew about the scheme, and 64% said they knew of it but were not interested. One in nine (11%) were unsure whether they’d heard about the scheme or would make use of it.

The hiring outlook provided by the survey remains relatively even month-on-month, with 62% of firms looking to increase staff count over the next three months, down from 64% last month, and 58% expecting a longer-term headcount rise over the next four to 12 months, down from 59% last month.

Short-term expectations for an increase in temporary workers were down to 31% from 32%, while longer-term plans dropped from 19% to 16%.

REC chief executive Kevin Green says: “It’s clear that the government’s good intentions on youth employment are not hitting the mark…  It seems from this survey that the government isn’t getting the message across to employers about why and how they should take part in initiatives such as the Youth Contract.”