• Henry Smith MP has welcomed new figures showing that the Government’s Kickstart Scheme has helped 170 young people in Crawley into work.
• The scheme – aimed at delivering more job opportunities for 16- to 24-year-olds – has in total got over 100,000 young people across the country into work since its launch in September 2020.
• As part of the Plan for Jobs, Kickstart builds on the Government’s existing steps to get more people into work as we recover from the pandemic, including doubling the number of work coaches and the Prime Minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee.

Henry Smith MP has welcomed the progress of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme – which has got 170 young people across Crawley 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- to 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.

Henry said;

“The pandemic has been tough for young people in Crawley, especially those looking for a job – the Government is right to ensure that no young person is left behind as we continue our recovery.

“The Government’s Kickstart Scheme is helping us deliver on that mission – getting 170 young people into work across Crawley – as part of the 100,000 helped nationwide.

“This will give more young people the best possible start in the workplace – helping them get a high-wage, high-skilled job they will need for the future.”

Figures released this week reveal that the number of people in employment rose by 160,000 in October – well above pre-pandemic levels, showing that the Government’s Plan for Jobs is working.

Some 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 more than 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 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 those unemployed for over three months; and the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, offering 11 million adults a free qualification at any point in their life.

The Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Thérèse Coffey, commented;

“Kickstart employers in Crawley 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.”