A government scheme to help find and fund six-month work placements for unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds has been taken on by Essex County Council (ECC).

Kickstart Essex has been approved by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as a provider for the scheme - with a role of helping employers who come forward to access the funds.

The aim is to provide the government-funded placements for 600 young people receiving Universal Credit across the county. The move comes as the age group has been identified as the worst affected by the pandemic in terms of employment opportunity.

ECC will work alongside DWP and local employers to support the creation of 600 opportunities for 16-24-year olds in receipt of universal credit, and who have been the most affected age group in the current economic climate.

A spokesperson for ECC said: "We are delighted to have the chance to help create exciting opportunities for our young people in a challenging employment market and support Essex employers to attract new talent into their organisations.

"Prior to launching, we have already received over 250 Kickstart job offers from 100 businesses in a variety of industries. There are some exciting opportunities for young people in Essex already and these will increase as our economy is able to re-open over the coming months."

A £1,500 grant will also be available to support young people to move into sustained employment after they have completed their Kickstart-funded job.

Under the scheme, ECC will employ 100 young people directly and will be a gateway for 500 jobs with Essex employers.

If you are unemployed, aged 16 to 24 and claiming universal credit, you can ask your Work Coach at Jobcentre Plus to see what job opportunities under the scheme are available nearby.

ECC also wants to hear from Essex employers interested in offering Kickstart job opportunities under the scheme.

For more information contact the Kickstart Essex Team using the link here.