West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has urged local firms to sign up for a new scheme to help young people into full time work.

The £2 billion Kickstarter scheme aims to help young people who are on Universal Credit to get six months of work experience and will start funding placements in November.

Employers will receive funding for 100 per cent of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum auto-enrolment pension contributions.

The scheme has been designed to help people who may be at risk of long-term unemployment because of the global pandemic and it is intended to be a stepping-stone to a full-time job or further training, such as an apprenticeship.

The Department for Work and Pensions is managing the Kickstarter programme and has uploaded a wide array of supporting materials on the Gov.UK website to help employers access the scheme.

Harriett said: “I’ve had detailed conversations with the local Jobcentre in Malvern about how we can support people – especially those newly entering the job market – to get into continuous full-time employment.

“The Kickstarter scheme is aimed at finding and helping younger people who may be at risk of long-term unemployment and I have already had conversations with the Local Enterprise Partnership about how we can support employers to access this scheme.

“I’m also keen that local employers investigate the Kickstarter programme themselves and see if they are able to offer opportunities to local young people and help them to get a first food on the jobs ladder.”