Oral Answers to Questions

Sara Britcliffe Excerpts
Monday 17th May 2021

(2 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Karl McCartney Portrait Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)
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What recent steps her Department has taken to help young people into employment.

Sara Britcliffe Portrait Sara Britcliffe (Hyndburn) (Con)
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What recent steps her Department has taken to help young people into employment.

Robbie Moore Portrait Robbie Moore (Keighley) (Con)
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What support her Department is providing to help young people into employment.

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Mims Davies Portrait Mims Davies
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The DWP’s partnerships on the ground with local labour markets are key to these new employment opportunities. I am pleased that Lincoln JCP is working in partnership with the Network, a charity that aims to prevent young people from becoming NEET—not in education, employment or training—and engages with and connects to wider support. Customers will also benefit from a key partnership locally with the DWP, Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and the Lincoln College Group, which have created many new opportunities for our young people within the new kickstart scheme.

Sara Britcliffe Portrait Sara Britcliffe
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The Government have brought in some brilliant measures to get young people into employment and I witnessed that at first hand on a visit to NORI HR. We are also hosting an education summit locally, and I welcome the support from our local training providers such as North Lancs Training Group, but can the Minister set out what measures are in place to help jobcentres and training providers to work together so that people are fully aware of all the opportunities available to them?

Mims Davies Portrait Mims Davies
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I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point, and I thank NORI HR for all its work. All MPs in this Chamber should take the opportunity to work with their local Jobcentre Plus team to support and promote kickstart. Locally, the DWP is working with employers such as NORI HR and also the Accrington Stanley community trust, which Members might have seen on “Football Focus” recently. The first cohort of employees started in March this year in a variety of kickstart roles including admin, sports coaching, youth work, site maintenance and leisure attendants. We are also working in partnership with the Hyndburn DWP youth hub to support our young people to be ready for these new kickstart roles.