Tomos Dafydd Davies has welcomed the UK Government’s landmark new Kickstart Scheme, designed to create thousands of new jobs for young people across the UK.
The new £2billion Kickstart scheme has been developed to enhance job opportunities for 16-24 year olds, as part of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Plan for Jobs.
Commenting, Tomos Dafydd Davies said:
Our young people cannot be allowed to become the greatest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.
Schemes such as the UK Government’s flagship Kickstart programme will private a lifeline to many young people and the opportunity to continue to develop their skills and take advantage of new training opportunities.”
Under the scheme, announced in June as part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs, employers that sign up will be able to offer youngsters aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit a six-month work placement that is fully funded by the government.
The Government will pay 100 percent of the young persons’ age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week, which the employer can top up if they chose to. In addition, the Government will also pay the employer £1500 for each young person they take on, to support any training or associated costs such as uniforms that they might incur when setting up the scheme.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
“This isn’t just about kickstarting our country’s economy –it is an opportunity to kickstart the careers of thousands of young people who could otherwise be left behind as a result of the pandemic.
“The scheme will open the door to a brighter future for a new generation and ensure the UK bounces back stronger as a country."
Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said:
“We have taken unprecedented action to secure Wales’s economic recovery from the pandemic. More than 500,000 Welsh jobs have been protected through the Job Retention and Self Employed schemes while over 40,000 businesses in Wales have received more than £1.4 billion in loans.”
