The government has today announced the launch of a new £2 billion pound Kickstart Scheme aimed at creating “hundreds of thousands of new jobs for young people” across the UK.
The Kickstart Scheme is part of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak’s #PlanForJobs.
Under the new scheme, a number of fully subsidised six-month placements will be open to those aged 16-24 who are currently claiming Universal Credit and are thus at risk of long-term unemployment.
These placements will be available across a range of different sectors in England, Scotland and Wales, and the first placements are likely to be available from November.
According to a statement released today on the gov.uk website, employers will be able to receive funding for 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25-hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum auto-enrolment pension contributions. There will also be extra funding available to support young people in building up their experience and helping them move into sustained employment after they have completed their Kickstart-funded job.
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Whilst the Kickstart Scheme is not to be misinterpreted as an apprenticeship, participants may move on to an apprenticeship at any time during, or after their job placement.
This isn’t just about kickstarting our country’s economy – it is an opportunity to kickstart the careers of thousands of young people who could otherwise be left behind as a result of the pandemic.
Employers in can use the Kickstart Scheme to create new six-month job placements for young people age 16-24, and they should support the participants to develop the skills and experience that they need to find work after completing the scheme.
Funding is available for 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25-hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions, and can be accessed following a successful application process.
There is also £1,500 per job placement available for setup costs, support and training.
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Applications must be for a minimum of 30 job placements, and if an employer is unable to offer this many job placements, they then have the opportunity to partner with other organisations to reach the minimum number.
Those applying on behalf of a group of employers can also get an additional £300 of funding to support with the associated administrative costs of bringing together these employers.
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Who can apply for funding?
According to the gov.uk criteria, any organisation can apply for funding, but the job placements created with Kickstart Scheme funding must be new jobs and They must not replace existing or planned vacancies, or cause existing employees or contractors to lose or reduce their employment.
The roles that employers apply for Kickstart Scheme funding for must be:
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A minimum of 25 hours per week for six months.
Paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group.
Should not require people to undertake extensive training before they begin the job placement.
Each application should include how employers will help the participants to develop their skills and experience, including support to look for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals, support with CV and interview preparations, and supporting the participant with basic skills, such as attendance, timekeeping and teamwork.
Once a job placement is created, it can be taken up by a second person once the first successful applicant has completed their six-month term.
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How to apply?
Applications for the Kickstart Scheme are being accepted now from employers, or groups of employers.
If your organisation is creating more than 30 job placements as part of the Kickstart Scheme, you can submit your application directly here, but if your organisation is creating fewer than 30 job placements, you cannot apply directly and you must partner with other organisations in order to create a minimum of 30 job placements before applying.
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You can find out more about becoming or finding a representative for a group of employers here.
More information about the Kickstart Scheme is available via the gov.uk website here.
News
Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
‘Christmas chaos’ on the cards as Manchester tram drivers vote on staging strike action next month
Emily Sergeant
There could be major disruption to festive travel in Greater Manchester next month, as hundreds of tram drivers are currently voting on whether to strike.
Almost 320 tram drivers are being balloted over working conditions and fears around fatigue.
The drivers – who are members of the union, Unite – all work for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester – and they operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
As it stands, the drivers’ shift patterns currently mean they have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, which results in some having to work 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
Drivers also have fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, and this is said to be causing safety concerns around fatigue.
‘Christmas chaos’ is on the cards as Manchester tram drivers are currently voting on staging strike action next month / Credit: TfGM
Drivers say they concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks, but after raising the issue with management, Unite has been told there is ‘no funding available’ to support any ‘meaningful’ improvements to working patterns.
Instead, management has asked drivers to start work earlier – which Unite says is only ‘adding insult to injury’.
The ballot is set to close on 11 November, and if drivers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes could then begin in late November, causing widespread cancellations and delays throughout the region during the busy festive shopping period – particularly coinciding with Manchester’s world-famous Christmas Markets, known for attracting millions of visitors to the city each year.
“Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously,” commented Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd September 2020 
