SHROPSHIRE Chamber of Commerce has published its first work placement opportunities for young people as part of the Government’s Kickstart campaign.

The Chamber is the first ‘gateway’ provider in the county to post live vacancies through the £2 billion scheme to help young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of long-term unemployment.

Hundreds of companies across Shropshire have come forward to offer vacancies in a wide range of sectors from manufacturing to professional services, hospitality, social care, marketing, animal welfare, and more.

All the placements generated from the Chamber gateway are being advertised on the dedicated Department for Work and Pensions Kickstart website.

“We have been working hand-in-hand with the DWP for a number of months to get this scheme off the ground,” said Shropshire Chamber chief executive Richard Sheehan.

“It has taken time to resolve bumps in the road with the UK-wide back office systems, but we are delighted and excited to finally be in the position to make the first vacancies available.

“Months of hard work and collaboration with the Government have put us in this position – now we can start an exciting journey which has the potential to change the lives of many young people.

“It couldn’t come at a better time, with new figures showing the UK’s youth unemployment rate rising to 14.5 per cent between August and October last year. It is likely to have increased even further since then.”

So far, around 150 Kickstart employment vacancies in Shropshire have already been approved through the Chamber gateway, with a further 210 in the pipeline once Government checks are completed.

Under the Kickstart scheme, the Government funds 100 per cent of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.

Shropshire businesses taking on a Kickstart candidate can also apply for £1,500 per job placement available to cover their setup costs, support and training.

“We are delighted with the response from Shropshire businesses to engage with Kickstart and offer up placement opportunities,” added Mr Sheehan.

“We have already connected with well over 200 businesses, and with the Government having now simplified its systems to relieve the logjam, we can now start to reap the rewards.”