M&S jobs in store as part of scheme
MARKS and Spencer in Fosse Park is looking for unemployed youngsters who want help getting into the world of work.
The company is hiring six people aged 16 to 24 for six months from April under the government’s Kickstart programme and The Prince’s Trust.
They will be paid the standard customer assistant rate and applications are now open at Jobcentre Plus locations across the county.
They will be among 180 people at 30 stores around the country in the first round of placements.
Andrew Aveyard, store manager at the Fosse Park branch, said: “As one of 30 regional academy stores, we are delighted to be involved in the Kickstart programme.
“While the last 12 months have been particularly challenging for young people in particular, we look forward to welcoming the first cohort to our team in April and supporting them on their career journey.”
The young people will be working in various roles at the store, including in the food hall, clothing and home goods sections and behind the scenes.
The aim is to help them develop important skills for succeeding in the future.
Since 2004, Marks & Spencer has supported more than 9,000 young people in the UK through the trust’s schemes.
Frances Milner, director of fundraising at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We’ve been working in partnership with Marks & Spencer for more than 16 years and in that time have helped more than 9,000 young people to develop their confidence and skills for work.
“We are pleased to be expanding this partnership, particularly at this time, when we know young people are disproportionately affected by rising unemployment and ongoing disruption to opportunities.”
Applications for the April cohort are now open at Jobcentre Plus locations across the UK.
THE government is to make a one-off payment of £500 to low-income parents and guardians of children needing to self-isolate during the pandemic.
Thousands of children may have to self-isolate as pupils in their classes, bubbles or year groups test positive for Covid-19.
This can mean parents and guardians having to take time off work – or facing other expenses.
The eligibility criteria for the government’s Test and Trace Support Scheme has now been updated to include “a parent or guardian who is staying off work to look after a child who is self-isolating”.
Work and Pensions Minister Justin Tomlinson said: “Beyond the welfare safety net, we have also introduced a number of unprecedented packages of support to put money directly into the pockets of those who are in the most need. We are providing financial support to self-isolate to those on low incomes through the £500 Test and Trace Support Scheme, alongside £35 million being made available to local authorities for discretionary payments to support those on low incomes who cannot work from home if they are required to self-isolate, because they have tested positive for coronavirus or have been identified as a contact of someone who has.
“We have worked with local authorities to monitor the effectiveness of the scheme since it launched and I welcome the changes to the eligibility criteria.”
There are concerns infection rates could jump again when non-key worker or vulnerable children go back – particularly in Leicester, where infection rates remain high.