Kickstart program opens in Wales

Under the new £2 billion Kickstart scheme, employers will be able to offer young people on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, state-subsidised work placements for six months. The Kickstart scheme is available to qualifying 16 – 24 year olds in England, Scotland and Wales.

Commenting on the launch of the scheme in Wales, the 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.

Protecting, supporting and creating jobs is at the heart of our plan for recovery. Aimed at young people, the Kickstart scheme will make sure no-one is left behind as we get the Welsh economy moving again.’

The government will fully fund each “Kickstart” job by paying 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum auto-enrolment pension contributions for 25 hours a week.

Businesses of all sizes looking to create quality jobs for young people can apply and there is no cap on the number of places. There will be a simplified application process for employers offering fewer than 30 placements.

The government will also help by paying employers £1,500 to set up support and training for people on a Kickstart placement. The scheme will initially be open until December 2021 but may be extended.