Catch22 was one of the first to join the ranks of Kickstart Gateways, and went on to incubate Kickstart Community – a programme which provides wraparound support for both the employer and employee before and during the placement. Despite the Department for Work and Pensions’ best intentions for the scheme, the Public Accounts Committee has identified in their report that the scheme is simply not delivering what it set out to do for young people. It is clear that for a scheme like this to work, it needs to be youth-centred and targeting those who are most impacted by the greatest barriers into sustainable employment.The findings of the inquiry reflect much of the evidence that we submitted. Ultimately, it is essential that any employment scheme gives young people the platform they need to access quality jobs, which can then develop into sustainable employment prospects for the long-term. From our experience, issues of underemployment are just as, if not more, problematic than unemployment for young people.
