- Scott Benton MP has welcomed new figures showing that the Conservative Government’s Kickstart Scheme has helped 320 young people in Blackpool South into work.
- The scheme – aimed at delivering more job opportunities for 16 – 24-year-olds – has in total got over 100,000 young people across the country into work since its launch in September 2020.
- As part of the Plan for Jobs, Kickstart builds on the Conservative Government’s existing steps to get more people into work as we recover from the pandemic, including doubling the number of work coaches and the Prime Minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
Scott Benton MP has welcomed the progress of the Conservative Government’s Kickstart Scheme – which has got 320 young people across Blackpool South into work since its launch in September 2020.
As part of the Plan for Jobs, launched last year to support jobs during the pandemic and help us build back better, 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 this morning reveal that the number of people in employment rose by 160,000 in October – well above pre-pandemic levels, showing that our Plan for Jobs is working.
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.
The Kickstart Scheme is just one part of the Conservative Government’s Plan for Jobs, which also includes the £2.9 billion Restart Scheme, helping over 1 million long-term unemployed people find work; the Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) scheme supporting at those unemployed for over 3 months; and the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, offering 11 million adults a free qualification at any point in their life.
Commenting, Scott Benton MP said:
The pandemic has been tough for young people, especially those looking for a job – we want to ensure that no young person is left behind as we continue our recovery.
The Conservative Government’s Kickstart Scheme is helping us deliver on that mission – getting 320 young people into work across Blackpool South – as part of the 100,000 helped nationwide.
This will give more young people the best possible start in the workplace – helping them get a high wage, high skilled job they will need for the future.
Commenting, Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:
Kickstart employers in Blackpool South 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.
