Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, has welcomed the progress of the Conservative Government’s Kickstart Scheme – which has helped 280 young people across Milton Keynes into work since its launch in September 2020.
As part of the Plan for Jobs, launched last year to support jobs during the pandemic and help us build back better, the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme pays businesses to create high-quality jobs for 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit. The scheme gives young people the opportunity to find work, develop their skills, and get a crucial first step on the career ladder.
Figures released this morning reveal that the number of people in employment rose by 160,000 in October – well above pre-pandemic levels, showing that our Plan for Jobs is working, while the number of people unemployed in Milton Keynes has fallen by 95 compared to September's figures.
100,000 young people across the country have now started a Kickstart job across all types of employers, ranging from sole traders to some of the biggest companies in the country. Over 215,000 jobs in total have been made available for young people to apply to across a range of sectors, including digital, creative and media, and retail.
Over the last month, on average over 3,400 young people have started a Kickstart job each week, and the scheme was recently expanded and extended until March 2022 so that even more young people can benefit from it.
The Kickstart Scheme is just one part of the Conservative Government’s Plan for Jobs, which also includes the £2.9 billion Restart Scheme, helping over 1 million long-term unemployed people find work; the Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) scheme supporting at those unemployed for over 3 months; and the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, offering 11 million adults a free qualification at any point in their life.
Ben Everitt MP said: "I'm delighted 150 young people people in Milton Keynes North and 280 throughout Milton Keynes are benefitting from the Conservative Government's Kickstart Scheme.
"These awesome local young people hold the keys to our future, not just in MK, but for the whole country. The Kickstart Scheme is providing them with the opportunities they need to get into the world of work as we build back better with a high-skill high-wage economy.
"I'd encourage employers across MK to consider taking on a Kickstarter before the scheme ends."
Thérèse Coffey, the Work and Pensions Secretary, commented: “Kickstart employers in Milton Keynes and up and down the country are giving young people the chance to get on the jobs ladder.
“Having hit the 100,000 milestone, we are now on the last lap and I encourage employers and young people to take advantage of this opportunity as we head towards the finish line of the great Kickstart scheme”.
