Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Kickstart Scheme: Business Participation

Monday 30 November 2020 · 9 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 7 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department of Work and Pensions is engaging with employers at local, national, and regional levels to promote the Kickstart scheme.
  • Employers are being supported through daily sessions and youth hubs to prepare young people for placements and remove barriers.
  • The Department is collaborating with gateway organisations such as chambers of commerce and local authorities to assist SMEs in participating in the Kickstart scheme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Employment
Context

The Kickstart Scheme is aimed at providing employment opportunities for young people aged 16-24 who are claiming benefits. The scheme encourages employers to participate by offering financial support.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to encourage employers to participate in the Kickstart scheme?

Answer from Mims Davies

We are working with employers at a local, national and regional level, and we continue to have wide-ranging engagement to promote the scheme. From day one, we have engaged with more than 300 stakeholders to ensure that the design of the kickstart scheme delivers for our young people and employers alike. We continue to work with those in growing sectors to boost further opportunities, so far creating more than 4,000 applications and more than 20,000 approved kickstart roles—these numbers are growing daily.

Answered
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Q2 Mark Menzies Con
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

Ameon, a construction company in Fylde, is looking to grow its team due to the recent construction boom. The MP wants to know how the Kickstart scheme can assist companies like Ameon by working with sixth-form and further education colleges.

Question

Last week, I met with Ameon, a building services company based in Fylde that is looking to grow its team due to the recent construction boom in the north-west. In construction, qualifications are vital to building a career. Will my hon. Friend outline how the kickstart scheme interacts with sixth-form and further education colleges to help enrolees to get valuable experience of work and certified lifetime skills?

Answer from Mims Davies

Businesses in my hon. Friend's constituency are coming forward daily, and DWP employer advisers are running daily sessions to get young people ready to be matched with placements. In addition, we have created new youth hubs and are working with local partners to assist young people in removing any barriers. Alongside that, we have allocated every kickstarter an additional £1,500 of employability support to ensure that they are ready to take up future work opportunities.

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Q3 Alan Mak Con Havant
Business & Trade
Context

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Havant are significant local employers supporting apprenticeships. The MP wants to know what steps the Department is taking to help these SMEs benefit from the Kickstart Scheme.

Question

Small and medium-sized enterprises in my Havant constituency are major local employers and already support apprenticeships in large numbers. What steps is my hon. Friend's Department taking to help kickstart gateway providers, particularly local authorities, to help SMEs to benefit from the scheme?

Answer from Mims Davies

We are determined that SMEs can take part in kickstart. We are actively working with a range of gateway organisations, including chambers of commerce, local authorities and charities, so that they can support smaller employers to offer kickstart roles. Guidance is regularly updated through the kickstart portal on gov.uk to clarify the process and highlight changes, and SMEs can access local employer contracts through those pages.

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Q4 Kieran Mullan Con Bexhill and Battle
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

Multiple local businesses and charities in Bexhill have put forward applications for the Kickstart Scheme, working with South Cheshire chamber of commerce. The MP wants to know when these roles might be approved.

Question

More than a dozen local businesses and charities have put forward applications, working with myself and the South Cheshire chamber of commerce. They are keen to get going and want to give young people opportunities. When might they be able to start deploying the roles?

Answer from Mims Davies

We are encouraging employers to create a range of opportunities through the kickstart scheme for all young people aged 16 to 24 who are at risk of long-term unemployment, including those who have disabilities. Our work coaches will help to identify those young people in need of any extra support available through the kickstart scheme and any other suitable provision to support them. Meanwhile, my hon. Friend will be interested to know that the wide-ranging opportunities in his constituency go to the approval board this week for consideration.

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Q5 Felicity Buchan
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Kickstart Scheme is successful in North Kensington with many placements already made, including those in gyms which await the end of lockdown. The MP wants to know if young people have a chance at work despite high costs of living.

Question

The kickstart scheme is proving to be a great success in my North Kensington jobcentre, with many placements already made and a number—for instance, in gyms—awaiting the end of lockdown. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is critical that we get young people into work, especially in London, where the cost of living is so high?

Answer from Mims Davies

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend: it is vital that we support young people into employment. As we know, they are often the most affected in these times of economic uncertainty. My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that in addition to kickstart, the DWP Kensington youth team is actively working with local partners, such as the Rugby Portobello Trust, to help young people in her constituency back into work.

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Q6 Pauline Latham Con
Education Economy Employment
Context

Young people are at risk due to the pandemic. The MP wants to know if the Kickstart Scheme will provide young people with skills for future employment.

Question

Young people are particularly at risk of being left behind as a result of this pandemic. Will my hon. Friend assure me that as we get our economy moving again, she will ensure that younger people have the chance to develop the skills that they need for future employment?

Answer from Mims Davies

The Secretary of State and I are determined that the kickstart scheme will provide for young people a vital springboard to gain vital skills and experience in fully subsidised six-month roles, which will help to build their networks and their future opportunities before they move into long-term employment, apprenticeships, traineeships or further training. I was delighted to be in Derbyshire earlier this year to see exactly how the scheme will work on the ground.

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Q7 Catherine West Lab Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Education Employment
Context

The previous Parliament's apprenticeship levy was unsuccessful. Hornsey and Friern Barnet are seeing a significant increase in unemployment, blighting young people's lives. The MP wants to know what urgent action is being taken.

Question

In the previous Parliament, Members will recall that the apprenticeship levy scheme was a bit of a flop. It let down businesses, young people, local authorities and colleges. With my local area seeing a 182% increase in unemployment, youngsters are having their lives blighted by joblessness now. What urgent action is being taken to work with local authorities, with employers and, of course, with colleges to promote apprenticeships as a viable future option?

Answer from Mims Davies

I thank the hon. Lady for that question. It is very important that kickstart works with all the opportunities that are available for young people, and my Department is working across Government to achieve that. The Haringey youth team is made up of 10 work coaches focused on 18 to 24-year-olds and, absolutely, they are already working directly on this in her Wood Green jobcentre, and I encourage her to go to see it if she has not already done so.

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Q8 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Employment
Context

Greater Manchester is eager to understand how the Kickstart scheme performs locally to assist in making it a success.

Question

Partnership will be crucial to drive down youth unemployment. I know that areas such as Greater Manchester are keen to understand how kickstart performs locally to assist in making the initiative a success. Can the Minister give clarity as to whether all the information relating to kickstart participation, which now comes in terms of gateway organisations, number of job placements applied for, sector information and so on, will be shared with mayoral combined authorities such as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority so that they are able to identify gaps that may then require more local partnership intervention?

Answer from Mims Davies

I am meeting with the M9 Group of Mayors once again and they have been absolutely crucial in terms of local design, local mayors, local enterprise partnerships, and our local chambers of commerce. The scheme has been designed with local authorities and local labour markets in mind. The hon. Member will be pleased to know that we are working closely with Stockport local authority, particularly with its job match service around kickstart.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide clarity on whether all Kickstart participation data would be shared with Mayoral Combined Authorities like the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

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Q9 Vicky Foxcroft Lab Lewisham North
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The question arises from the need to ensure that Kickstart works effectively for disabled individuals.

Question

I am sure that, like me, the Minister wants to ensure that kickstart works for disabled people. I would like to know whether the Government have carried out an equality impact assessment of this scheme, and whether they will publish it. Will they also commit to the following: support from Access to Work from day one of employment; access to kickstart for recipients of employment and support allowance; and disability awareness training for all employment advisers? These small changes could help to ensure that every young person is able to benefit from kickstart.

Answer from Mims Davies

I thank the hon. Lady for her question. I know that she is focused on young people, as am I. She may have heard from the Secretary of State that we are absolutely determined about this and that that work is already embedded; it is part of kickstart. This placement is treated like regular work, so all existing schemes such as Access to Work can be used, and our young people in jobcentres will be able to discuss all the options via the work coach.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit explicitly to publishing an equality impact assessment or providing disability awareness training for employment advisers.

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