New JobStart Scheme launched in Northern Ireland to fund work opportunities for 16 to 24 year olds

Scheme to provide employers with 100 percent of National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for 25 hours a week on six or nine month placements

A JobStart Scheme to fund work opportunities for 16 to 24 year olds has been launched in Northern Ireland.

Open to applications from 2 April 2021, the new scheme will provide eligible employers with the funding for job opportunities for 16 to 24 year olds who are facing additional employment challenges due to the impact of Covid-19. Successful applicants to the scheme will receive -

• 100 per cent of the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of six months (or nine months for a young person who meets additional criteria);
• associated employer national insurance contributions; and
• employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.

Welcoming the Northern Ireland Executive's decision to allocate £20 million for the scheme in its 2021/2022 Budget, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said -

'This is a bespoke employer incentive scheme and has been developed to suit the nature and size of local businesses, including those in the voluntary and community sector.

The programme aligns with my ongoing commitment to supporting young people at risk of long-term unemployment by creating job opportunities in a range of disciplines and sectors.

As we move towards recovery from the economic and societal effects of Covid-19, I will continue to prioritise the employment needs of young people in our community.'

For more information, see Minister welcomes job scheme for young people impacted by Covid-19 from ni.gov.uk

Update (15 April 2021) - officially launching the JobStart Scheme today, Ms Hargey confirmed that two further interventions have been introduced by the Department for Communities this week - an Opportunity Guarantee strand of the Work Experience Programme and an Expanded Adviser Discretionary Fund - to help create employment opportunities for young people and remove barriers for those seeking employment.