21 Aug 2018
Youth job scheme could help plug farm labour gap
Measures to protect young people’s jobs may benefit farming businesses looking for new staff.
The launch of the Kickstart Scheme was part of the package announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak last week.
Its aim is to create new jobs for 16- to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit and in danger of becoming long-term unemployed.
The wages of these young employees will paid by the Government for six months, with a contribution to related costs.
The support could be worth £6,500 per employee, with a further £1,000 per recruit paid to employers who use the scheme. Those who take 16- to 24-year-olds on as apprentices will also get a £2,000 payment per position.
Martyn Dobinson of accountants Saffery Champness, said: “Clearly some rural businesses will benefit from this.
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Vulnerable
“Looking forward, keeping people in work is essential and many businesses – especially smaller ones – are at risk. The rural sector is particularly vulnerable and rural jobs are particularly hard to replace.”
With the Government’s furlough scheme costing £25 billion in its first two and a half months, the Government is keen to reduce its burden.
From August 1 employers will have to contribute to the scheme and it will end in October.
Last week a £1,000 Job Retention Bonus was promised to employers who bring back staff and pay them at least £520 per month for six months.
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