Government’s Kickstart scheme could help 350,000 young people into work – but it needs to be delivered quickly 7 July 2020 Commenting on the Government’s announcement of a new Kickstart Scheme to help young people into work, Kathleen Henehan, Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Young people have been hit hardest by Britain’s growing jobs crisis, with three-in-ten 18-24 year olds furloughed, and one-in-ten already having lost their jobs. So, action to keep youth unemployment down is crucial to avoiding lasting damage to careers that are just getting started. “It is very welcome that the Government has opted for a bold and ambitious scheme, with £2 billion potentially meaning jobs for around 350,000 young people. This is exactly the kind of approach needed, learning the lessons of what worked in the financial crisis. “History also shows that it is crucial that these jobs are created quickly, with local authorities crucial in making that happen at anything like the scale the Government intends. 350,000 new jobs would be three times as many as were created under the Future Jobs Fund following the financial crisis, so delivery on this scale will be a huge challenge. “This big step forward should form part of a wider effort to respond to what risks being the biggest jobs crisis in a generation.”
