Wolverhampton North East MP Jane Stevenson has welcomed new figures which show that 440 more young people across the city are in work thanks to the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, which launched in September 2020.
The £2 billion Kickstart scheme pays businesses to create high-quality jobs for 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit. The scheme gives young people the opportunity to find work, develop their skills and get a crucial first step on the career ladder.
Figures released today reveal that the number of people in employment rose by 160,000 in October – well above pre-pandemic levels.
100,000 young people across the country have now started a Kickstart job across all types of employers, ranging from sole traders to some of the biggest companies in the country. Over 215,000 jobs in total have been made available for young people to apply to across a range of sectors, including digital, creative and media, and retail.
Over the last month, on average over 3,400 young people have started a Kickstart job each week, and the scheme was recently expanded and extended until March 2022 so that even more young people can benefit from it.
Wolverhampton currently has the highest youth unemployment rate in the country, and Jane is working with Government to ensure everything is done to help them into work.
She said: “The pandemic has been tough for young people, particularly in Wolverhampton where our youth unemployment rate is now the highest in the country. So I welcome the news that the Government’s Kickstart scheme has helped 440 young people across the city into work.
“The scheme has been extended to March 2022, and has helped 100,000 young people nationwide. This will give more young people the best possible start in the workplace, helping them to get a high-wage and high-skilled job they will need for the future.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said: “Kickstart employers in Wolverhampton and up and down the country are giving young people the chance to get on the jobs ladder.
“Having hit the 100,000 milestone, we are now on the last lap and I encourage employers and young people to take advantage of this opportunity as we head towards the finish line of the great Kickstart scheme”.
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