Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support she is providing to Bromsgrove Jobs Centre to help unemployed people in Bromsgrove District.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Through our Plan for Jobs, the Department is providing broad ranging support for all jobseekers. Currently, support includes the Kickstart scheme, Job Finding Support, Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP) and Job Entry Targeted Support. In addition, the Work and Heath Programme, and Intensive Personalised Employment Support, is available to support to support disabled people and people with long term health conditions, to enter and stay in work.
To support the long term unemployed, £2.9 billion is being invested in the Restart Programme, which is due to go live from summer 2021. The Restart Programme will support individuals who have been unemployed for at least 12 months and through regular, personalised support providers will work with participants to identify the best way to support them into sustained employment. We have also increased the number of Work Coaches, by 13,500 nationally, to support Claimants - with 368 joining our Mercia District by the end of April, including 4 based at Bromsgrove Jobcentre.
Bromsgrove Jobcentre has strong partnership links with the Local Authority with partnership representation on housing, financial inclusion and claimant support forums at both district and county level. It also has strong relations with local providers such as New Starts who have provided laptops to assist with online courses during the pandemic.
The Jobcentre team are engaging with Kickstart employers and Gateway organisations to support our younger customers move closer to employment, and have partnered with local employers and organisations to deliver a number of successful Sector Based Work Academy Programmes, across multiple sectors, which are available to all claimants irrespective of age or length of unemployment.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many businesses in the (a) West Midlands, (b) Worcestershire and (c) Bromsgrove District have signed up to the Kickstart Scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 30/10/2020, 3717 applications have been made for funding through DWP’s Kickstart scheme (either as an employer or a Gateway organisation), and at that date bids covering a total of around 15,170 potential placements had been approved. We are not yet able to reliably break these placements down by region, given that some of the employers have submitted national bids.
Asked by: Sajid Javid (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department is providing to 18 to 25 years olds who are unemployed in Worcestershire.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to getting people back into work and through our Plan for Jobs we will help young people across the country into work.
We recently opened applications for our ambitious £2 billion Kickstart Scheme. It puts young people at the heart of our economic recovery by supporting young people at risk of long term unemployment into six month placements across the private, public and voluntary sectors.
We have also introduced a new youth offer for 18-24 year olds in the Universal Credit Intensive Work Search group. This includes a structured 13-week programme, youth hubs and youth employability coaches.
Together with Worcester County Council, Worcester Jobcentre Plus will be creating a youth hub that will provide a holistic approach and tailored support for each customer. The hub will focus on 16-24 year olds to address long-term unemployment.