Kickstart scheme feedback
On January 19th, it was confirmed that just 1,868 young people had started job placements as part of the flagship £2bn Kickstart Scheme (despite the DWP misleadingly claiming it had created “120,000 jobs”). We are concerned that this minimal uptake is due to the flawed implementation of an otherwise brilliantly conceptualised scheme: eligible jobseekers cannot discover Kickstart roles unless they are directed to them by their work coaches, through the Universal Credit online platform. Work coaches are thus made entirely responsible for something that would be better placed with the young jobseekers themselves! The lack of autonomy, increased bureaucracy and room for oversight is inefficient and detrimental to the scheme’s intentions.
We intend to write to both Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak with our concerns and suggestions for improvements to the scheme. Your feedback will be invaluable in this exercise, thank you for taking the time.