GM Kickstart Board to steer youth employment scheme in city-region

A new board has been established to maximise the benefits of the Kickstart youth employment scheme in Greater Manchester.

The GM Kickstart Board will be chaired by Local Enterprise Partnership co-chair, Mo Isap, and comprise representatives from GMCA, the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), and Jobcentre Plus.

The Kickstart scheme aims to offer 250,000 new, subsidised jobs for 16 to 24 year olds who are claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The first placements are expected to be available from November.

Employers making use of the scheme will receive funding for 100% of National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance and auto-enrolment pension contributions. Employers can also receive £1500 per placement for setup costs, support and training.

Direct applications must be for a minimum of 30 job placements, however groups of organisations can partner together with a representative organisation to meet this requirement. Stockport Council is acting as an employer representative for smaller organisations in the borough to create jobs through the scheme.

The GM Kickstart Board will complement other ongoing work and skills initiatives in Greater Manchester, including the Good Employment Charter and the Young Person’s Guarantee.

Greater Manchester LEP co-chair Mo Isap said:

The Kickstart scheme can help us achieve a jobs-rich recovery in Greater Manchester, but its delivery needs to be underpinned by consistency, quality and clarity.

“Establishing the GM Kickstart Board is a way of ensuring the programme is steered by, and works for the benefit of, Greater Manchester businesses and young people.

“Working with our partners, we can provide a quality standard for placements that both employers and our young people can trust.”

Elizabeth Taylor, chief executive at ERSA said:

As the membership body of employment support organisations, ERSA is collaborating in Great Manchester to ensure young people and businesses maximise the opportunities of Kickstart.

“ERSA is working to ensure all young people have access to Kickstart if it is right for them, that there is pre-employment support, good jobs, with support, training, and development for positive outcomes. Employers should be reassured that if they create Kickstart jobs in GM there is the collaboration to make Kickstart a success.”

Applications to create job placements for young people in Greater Manchester through the Kickstart scheme are now open, with the first roles expected to begin in November. The scheme runs until December 2021.