Job scheme for young people gets extra cash

ExtEnsion for six months to hElp morE 16 to 24-yEar-olds

A SCHEME to help young people gain valuable paid work experience has been extended thanks to additional funding.

Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) has pledged £500,000 of funding to build on the work done under the government’s Kickstart scheme, which offered sixmonth paid work placements for 16 to 24-year-olds who receive universal credit.

The LLEP funding, from its repurposed Growing Places Fund, will double the duration of Kickstart placements to 12 months.

The new scheme will be administrated by Leicester City Council on behalf of the LLEP, and will be applied across Leicester and Leicestershire.

LLEP’s 2019 Employer Skills Survey showed that 68 per cent of employers in business and other services cited having relevant work experience as critical to recruitment for young people.

Kevin Harris, chairman of the LLEP board of directors, said: “Our Employers Skills Survey tells us relevant work experience is consistently cited by employers as among the most critical factors for recruitment.

“Young people who can give evidence of this have a greater chance of securing and sustaining employment.

“The additional LLEP funding should greatly improve the employment prospects of young people participating in the scheme, and also helps to support small and medium-sized businesses with their skills needs.”

The city council has participated in the Kickstart scheme since November.

As well as offering 30 jobs within the council itself, its role has been to act as an intermediary between applicants and firms.

Organisations taking part will need to offer a 12-month work placement for a minimum of 25 hours per week, paying at least the minimum wage. The jobs must be new, and of good quality, and focus on specific, detailed roles.

The Department for Work and Pensions pays the age-relevant minimum wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week, but employers can top this up.

Assistant city mayor for jobs and skills, Councillor Danny Myers, said: “I’m really pleased we can extend the help this scheme is offering.

“By working with firms to provide high-quality roles, we can ensure as many young people as possible get work experience and practical skills that will stand them in good stead.”