Thousands of young people in region to be helped back to work

The newly launched Kickstart scheme is aimed at people aged between 16 to 24 years old who are at risk of being "left behind" in a labour market hit hard by the Covid crisis.

It will subsidise six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants in the age group who are out of work and facing long-term unemployment.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data shows there were 4,175 people in the 16 to 24 age bracket who were unemployed and on Universal Credit in Wolverhampton at the most recent count on June 11.

Elsewhere in the Black Country, the figure was 4,058 in Dudley, 4,639 in Sandwell and 4,326 in Walsall.

While in Staffordshire, it was 980 in Cannock, 794 in South Staffordshire and 843 in Stafford.

They were among 66,000 young people out of work and claiming the benefit across the West Midlands, and 628,000 across Britain as a whole.

The state will pay employers £1,500 to set up support and training for someone on a placement, as well as covering the National Minimum Wage, which ranges from £4.55 an hour for 16 year olds up to £8.20 for those aged 21 to 24. It will also pay National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week.

But the Labour Party says the programme has been delayed and lacks coordination, while warning the scheme must lead to meaningful work.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “This isn’t just about kickstarting our country’s economy – it is an opportunity to kickstart the careers of thousands of young people who could otherwise be left behind as a result of the pandemic.

“The scheme will open the door to a brighter future for a new generation and ensure the UK bounces back stronger as a country.”

Kickstart, which will be delivered by the DWP, will initially be open until December 2021. Major employers including Tesco have signed up to offer jobs through the initiative, the Government said.

Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said Labour has “repeatedly called for a youth employment scheme that matches the scale of today’s jobs crisis”. But she said the Kickstart scheme had been delayed and lacks cross-organisational coordination.

She added: “It will only work if employers and jobseekers have clarity and confidence that the scheme will lead to meaningful work. The Government can’t afford to get this wrong.”

Therese Coffey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, urged businesses to get involved in the programme.

She added: “Young people taking part will receive on-the-job training, skills development and mentoring, as we get them on that first rung of the jobs ladder and on their way to successful careers.”