1k get job placement with the aid of chamber

THE KICKSTART SCHEME PRAISED

EAST Midlands Chamber has been commended by employment minister Mims Davies for helping more than 1,000 young people secure a job placement via the Kickstart scheme.

Ms Davies said: “It’s fantastic to see that more than 1,000 young people have begun their Kickstart journey thanks to the vital support from East Midlands Chamber, in a range of exciting new roles, setting them on the road for their future careers.

“Our Plan for Jobs is focused on creating and spreading opportunity just like this around the UK as we push to level up across the country.”

The chamber celebrated the milestone by welcoming civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Chesterfield Jobs Fair.

East Midlands Chamber deputy chief executive and Kickstart lead Diane Beresford, along with education and business partnership manager Pieter Eksteen, also met with Jo Macdonald, who chairs the Kickstart gateway approvals board for the DWP, to explain how the chamber has managed to secure so many placement starts among young people.

Ms Beresford said: “Young people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic both in terms of their mental and physical wellbeing, and the significant amount of unemployment it has created.

“The Kickstart scheme has been a lifeline for them to get the skills and work experience that will be vital to their future prospects.

“We’re delighted with our track record in converting applications into real jobs, which have played a key role in giving young people the chance they may not have otherwise had while also enabling companies to try new roles.

“We’re continuing to support businesses and job centres to place young people, as well as look beyond the sixmonth period to ensure there’s a future roadmap to full-time employment.”

Under Kickstart, the DWP funds 100 per cent of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week over a six-month period.

Employers can choose to top up this wage and are also eligible for a £1,500 government training grant.

Young people are referred into the roles via a Jobcentre Plus work coach.

East Midlands Chamber has had more than 2,700 placements approved among nearly 800 businesses.

Of these, 2,200 have resulted in vacancies being created and 1,024 of those have now been filled.

The latest vacancies are at: