Today the Department has announced the first cohort of young people have started work through the Jobs Guarantee. The Jobs Guarantee helps young people who have been out of work or education for a period of time take their first steps into employment. As part of the scheme, the Department will fully fund employers to offer six months of paid work at 25 hours a week, covering 100% of wage costs including associated employer NICs and pension contributions, and up to £250 per young person for onboarding. Young people on the scheme will also receive DWP funded support.
The first phase of the scheme is open to eligible 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit and are seeking work for 18 months and live in one of six areas:
- Birmingham and Solihull
- The East Midlands,
- Greater Manchester,
- Hertfordshire and Essex,
- Central and East Scotland,
- Southeast and Southwest Wales
The scheme will roll out nationally later this year.
Further information about this announcement is included in the press notice below, which has also been uploaded to GOV.UK.
To support this announcement, once the embargo has lifted, I would be very grateful if your organisation could share information about the Jobs Guarantee with your networks and members, particularly those reaching young people and employers.