Government launches £238m scheme for jobseekers

Jobseekers will be offered coaching and advice on moving into “growing sectors” as part of a £238m employment programme, the government has said.

Job Entry Targeted Support is aimed at helping those out of work because of Covid-19 for three months.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said it would give people “the helping hand they need”.

But Labour said the scheme “offers very little new support” and it was “too little too late”.

Last month, official figures showed that the UK unemployment rate had risen to its highest level for two years, with young people particularly hard hit.

The Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) scheme will “boost the prospects of more than a quarter of a million people across Britain”, Ms Coffey said.

The Department for Work and Pensions says it is recruiting an additional 13,500 “work coaches” to help deliver the new scheme.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Coffey said JETS is aimed more at helping “adults beyond the age of 25” learn how their skills “can be used in different parts of the economy” – and she cited construction and care as examples of growing sectors.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the scheme would “provide fresh opportunities to those that have sadly lost their jobs, to ensure that nobody is left without hope”.

“Our unprecedented support has protected millions of livelihoods and businesses since the start of the pandemic, but I’ve always been clear that we can’t save every job,” he said.

“I’ve spoken about the damaging effects of being out of work, but through JETS we will provide fresh opportunities to those that have sadly lost their jobs, to ensure that nobody is left without hope.”