Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed the Government’s plans to make it even easier for employers of all sizes to join its flagship £2 billion Kickstart Scheme, which has already created more than 120,000 Kickstart jobs across the UK.
The Government’s Kickstart Scheme is designed to give young people at risk of long-term unemployment a future of hope and opportunity by creating high-quality, government-subsidised jobs across the UK, supporting them into work as it delivers on its commitment to level up the entire country.
Introduced as part of the Plan for Jobs, the Kickstart Scheme allows employers to offer young people between 16 and 24 who are on Universal Credit a six-month work placement that is fully funded by the Government.
Under this scheme, the Government will pay 100% of the young person’s age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week, which the employer can top up if they choose to. In addition, the Government will pay £1,500 per Kickstarter taken on to cover any associated set up costs.
Since the scheme first launched in September 2020, the Government has been working with companies across a wide range of sectors to create over 120,000 Kickstart jobs; and in encouraging more employers to join, it is now making it even easier for companies of all sizes to apply for any number of vacancies.
From February 2021, businesses can apply to the scheme for any number of placements, with the 30 vacancies minimum threshold removed so they can sign up directly. Employers can still apply through one of the over 600 Kickstart gateway organisations including local authorities, charities and trade bodies, that have supported them in applying for funding for 29 or less job placements through the scheme.
Full details of the Kickstart Scheme are available at www.gov.uk/kickstart.
Nus Ghani said: “Young people are among the hardest hit in times like these and we must ensure they’re not left without hope or opportunity. The Kickstart scheme is vital for creating jobs and giving young people the skills to access them. I am pleased that more than 120,000 jobs have already been created through the scheme, and it is now even simpler to get involved. I would encourage employers across Wealden to sign up, invest in new potential and provide jobs for our young residents.”
