The boss of one of the Midlands biggest training groups has called on the Government to ensure that Rishi Sunak’s job creation and retention schemes are able to work together seamlessly.

Chris Luty, chief executive officer of BCTG Group, said the Chancellor’s announcements were very positive but they needed to be aligned for maximum impact.

“The Kickstarter Scheme and the focus on traineeships are very encouraging but we need to ensure that young workers can progress from traineeships into apprenticeships so that at the end of six months they are fully employed and not simply back to square one.”

He welcomed the Chancellor’s £2 billion scheme to create thousands of jobs for young people but cautioned that this needed to lead to long term employment if it was to be judged successful in the longer term.

“It is essential that when we see the details of how these schemes will work next week, they are able to dovetail to the ultimate benefit of the young trainee or worker,” he said.

The Chancellor announced a radical package of new measures to support employment, including a Job Retention Bonus to help firms keep furloughed workers – a one-off bonus of £1,000 for each employee still employed on 31 January 2021.

The new £2 billion Kickstart Scheme targets those aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit and are at most risk of long term unemployment. Funding will cover 100% of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week for each six month job placement. Employers will have the option to top up wages.

Employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for employment will see a total of £1.6 billion invested.

For each new apprentice under 25 that businesses employ, they will receive £2,000. This will be on top of the existing £1,000 the Government provides for new 16-18-year-old apprentices and those under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

An investment of £111 million is intended to triple the scale of traineeships in 2020-21 with the aim of providing young people with access to high quality training.

Other measures include £17 million to triple the number of sector-based work academy placements in 2020-21, and nearly £900 million to double the number of work coaches to 27,000. In addition, a further £32 million will be invested in the National Careers Service to assist over 250,000 young people

Mr Luty said: “These are staggering investment figures, but the devil is always in the detail and we await sight of how these schemes will operate, both individually and together in the coming week.”

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For further information, please contact:

Chris Luty, Chief Executive Officer, BCTG Group, European Business Park, Taylors Lane, Oldbury, B69 2BN

0121 544 6455

Prepared and issued by Andy Skinner of ASAP PR – mobile 07990 978257.