To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the JobStart scheme, including the number of business which have expressed interest and the geographical spread of the placement opportunities.

The Minister for Communities was due to launch the JobStart Scheme on 14 December 2020. Unfortunately the Department has had to delay the launch of the Scheme, which will be further impacted by the latest announcement of tighter Covid-19 restrictions In light of this the Department is keeping the launch date for the Scheme under review.

To develop the JobStart Scheme the Department has worked collaboratively with key stakeholders including other departments, local government, employers and the voluntary and community sector to ensure efforts are aligned to obtain the best outcomes for those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As businesses of all sizes and from all sectors are eligible to apply to the JobStart Scheme, the Department has engaged widely with employers and employer representative bodies, including the Federation of Small Businesses, Construction Industry Training Board, NI Chamber of Commerce and Business in the Community. Webinar based engagement has also been made with approximately 170 employers through InvestNI.

The Department has also been engaging with individual councils to promote the JobStart Scheme. The five Health and Social Care have also shown an interest in the JobStart Scheme.

Overall the feedback from employers and employer bodies has been very positive. The JobStart Scheme is, and will continue to be, an agile Scheme and the Department is committed to continuously improving it by listening to feedback from both employers and young people.

As the Scheme is not yet open for employer applications the Department cannot provide details on the geographical spread of the placement opportunities.