ACTION AS PLIGHT OF ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’ Our kids can become Generation Kickstart
This is a particularly challenging time for young people but I want them to know we’re on their side and doing everything we can to protect jobs and create new opportunities.
Evidence tells us that young people are more likely to be furloughed, and those leaving school, college or university are entering a really difficult labour market.
That’s why we’ve deliberately put young people at the heart of our £280billion Plan for Jobs – with schemes like Kickstart, which has already created 120,000 new opportunities for those out of work, and the expansion of traineeships and apprenticeships.
I don’t want young people to give up hope. As part of my online Plan for Jobs panel series I’ve been speaking firsthand with young people, as well as business leaders and education providers, and we’ve all agreed on the genuine benefits of further training.
Young people are a key part in our drive to recover from this pandemic. We don’t want them to be a generation scarred by coronavirus – we want to make them the
Kickstart generation.
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak wants to transform Generation Lockdown into Generation Kickstart.
He acknowledged the grave difficulties confronting young people, many of whom have been furloughed or are struggling to find work.
But the Chancellor insisted they are at the heart of his £280billion “plan for jobs” and said the Kickstart scheme – which provides employers with cash to create job placements for 16-to-24-year-olds – has led to 120,000 new opportunities.
“This is a particularly challenging time for young people but I want them to know we’re on their side and doing everything we can to protect jobs and create new opportunities,” he said.
“Evidence tells us that young people are more likely to be furloughed and those leaving school, college or university are entering a really difficult labour market.
“That’s why we’ve deliberately put young people at the heart of our £280billion Plan for Jobs – with schemes like Kickstart, which has already created 120,000 new opportunities for those out of work, and the expansion of traineeships and apprenticeships. I don’t want young people to give up hope. As part of my online Plan for Jobs panel series I’ve been speaking first hand with young people, as well as business leaders and education providers, and we’ve all agreed on the genuine benefits of further training.
“Young people are a key part in our drive to recover from this pandemic. We don’t want them to be a generation scarred by coronavirus, we want to make them the Kickstart generation.”
The Chancellor’s encouraging words come as concern mounts for the future of entrepreneurs and the self-employed.
Former work and pensions secretary Esther Mcvey and MPS from across the party divide have written to Mr Sunak to urge him to change the rules so more people can qualify for the Self-employment Income Support Scheme, ditching a rule which denies support to those who had trading profits of more than £50,000.
The 62 MPS – who include former shadow chancellor John Mcdonnell, former Brexit secretary David Davis and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey – describe the cut-off point as a “devastating cliff edge” and claim 200,000 people have been left without support.
The all-party group on “gaps in support” has proposed a Targeted Income Grant Scheme which would help people who have “fallen through the cracks”.
A report from the Resolution Foundation warns 14 per cent of selfemployed workers – equivalent to 700,000
– has stopped working entirely during the current lockdown. This compares with nine per cent during the first lockdown.
Forty-one per cent of self-employed workers have seen earnings fall by a quarter or more during the latest lockdown.
A Treasury spokesman defended the Government’s record, saying: “Throughout this crisis, we have done all we can to support jobs and livelihoods, spending over £280billion in response to the pandemic.”
He added: “We acknowledge that it has not been possible to support everyone in the way they might want, but we continue to keep our schemes under review and will set out the next stage of economic support at the Budget.”
OPINION: PAGE 14