SHEFFIELD CITY REGION’S MAYOR AND LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO FIX KICKSTART SCHEME

Published 3 December 2020 at 11:02am

Sheffield City Region’s public and private sectors have come together to urge Government to fix the flaws in the Kickstart scheme after businesses across South Yorkshire have been left waiting for placements and young people have been left without work or opportunity.

Almost 500 applications to the Kickstart scheme have been submitted by the region’s Chambers of Commerce, acting as gateway organisations for the programme, with only a fraction of placements approved by Government and none within the one-month time frame. With many more companies waiting in the wings, Government is being urged to fix the system and place young people in much needed work placements.

COVID-19 has been detrimental to young people, who have been hit hardest by job losses and who are most likely to work in sectors severely impacted by Government measures, such as hospitality and leisure. The Kickstart scheme provides the opportunity for those under 25 and out of work to develop new and stable careers, and the business community has given it its full backing, so The Mayor is calling on Government to follow through with their promises and make placements sooner rather than later.

The Sheffield City Region currently runs a number of initiatives to support people get into work, and stay in work, equipping them with the tools they need to upskill and maintain suitable employment. As part of the devolution deal earlier this year, the Sheffield City Region has taken control of the Adult Education Budget to commission adult skills provision for the residents of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

23.1% of people aged 16 to 64 in South Yorkshire are economically inactive, with this set to worsen because of the impact of the pandemic. The Sheffield City Region is therefore developing Kickstart 25+ as part of its Renewal Action Plan, to support adults in need of work. The scheme involves a package of measures aimed at sustaining and creating good jobs in the local economy, with integrated support for both individuals and the businesses which can deliver sustained jobs and economic growth.

Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, said: “Government needs to take urgent action to ensure our region’s young people are being given the opportunities they deserve.

“I have asked Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions to provide clear answers on when placements will be made. The stated timeframe for DWP to make placements is one month, and this has not been met for our people and businesses in South Yorkshire.

“In South Yorkshire, we are working hard to invest in our people, using the devolution settlement this year to invest in the Adult Education Budget and create a Kickstart 25+ for adults in the region in need of work and opportunity. Local leaders understand our communities better than anyone in Whitehall could, so Government need to devolve powers and resources, and enable us to manage  schemes such as Kickstart from within South Yorkshire, ensuring we bring benefit to our people, employers and places. This cannot and should not be dictated by Whitehall.”

Chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, James Muir, said: “Businesses across South Yorkshire are ready and waiting to provide people across the region with work, skills and opportunities, and have put time and resources into creating suitable placements.

“Government need to work with us, giving our leaders the power and resources to support people and businesses across South Yorkshire. The Kickstart scheme was designed to get young people, who have been hit incredibly hard by the economic impacts of COVID, into work, to develop and support their future. Instead they are being left behind. We need these placements to be made now, and we need to back our business community as they work to ensure South Yorkshire can build back better from the pandemic.”

Pete Lowes, Managing Director of Humana Ltd. In Doncaster, said: “As soon as we learned about the kickstart initiative, we were very keen to reach out and understand how we could help. Providing long-term career opportunities for local people at risk of long-term unemployment aligns completely with our core values. We’re in a position to train people with incredibly valuable skills which they can then build upon within their future career with us.

“Our initial enthusiasm was dulled a little in light of the extensive wait for a response to our application, but support from Doncaster Chamber has been fantastic. It’s disappointing for businesses such as ours to have to wait several months to hear back on the scheme when we’re ready and waiting to improve the prospects of young people in our area, but hopefully we’ll finally be able to recruit in to the placements in the new year.”