Today I am urging small employers and sole traders in my constituency to provide work placements to unemployed people aged 16-24 under the government’s Kickstart programme.
The Kickstart Scheme was announced in July as part of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs. The aim is to create thousands of high quality six month placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and who face the prospect of long term unemployment. Under the scheme, the Government will cover 100 per cent of employment costs for 25 hours a week. This includes the employee's salary at the appropriate minimum wage for their age, as well as National Insurance and pension contributions.
This is a terrific opportunity for young people to get paid experience which could change their future prospects for ever. I really hope that any small business or sole trader who can in Thirsk, Malton and Filey will take advantage of the scheme to give a young person an opportunity they may not have had otherwise. The coronavirus crisis has made it even more challenging for so many young people to find employment and this will give them the first step on the employment ladder.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Thérèse Coffey MP, said: “We have opened an important gateway through the Federation of Small Businesses and Adecco Working Ventures to help small employers and sole traders create new life-changing opportunities for young people through our Kickstart scheme. This is a crucial part of our Plan for Jobs to create and support jobs across the UK, ensuring help reaches those who need it most and they aren’t left without hope or opportunity.”
The scheme is open to employers of all sizes to create new Kickstart roles. Representative organisations, local charities and other groups can also act as intermediaries to help smaller employers apply for the Kickstart Scheme. Employers will need to show that the Kickstart role is an additional job that will provide the experience and support a young person needs to improve their chances of permanent employment. Funding available for each job will cover the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions where applicable.
More than 700 small firms have so far come forward to offer placements through the gateway set up by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), alongside Adecco Working Ventures (AWV) which will be the intermediary employer.
To apply, visit FSB’s Kickstart Gateway page.
