Nearly 500 people per day across Great Britain have started on the £238M JETS scheme

AROUND 100,000 people who lost jobs in the pandemic are on the road back to work thanks to a government programme providing targeted support to relaunch their careers.

On average, nearly 500 jobseekers a day across Great Britain have started on the Government’s £238 million JETS – Job Entry Targeted Support – scheme over the last seven months.

And just under 13,000 have already returned to work after securing new roles through JETS.

With opportunities opening up as the country proceeds carefully along the roadmap to Covid-recovery, it means the Department for Work and Pensions is well on the way to hitting its target of helping 250,000 by September.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said:

“Behind these figures are real people dealt a rough hand by the pandemic who are now receiving vital support to get back into work, at a time when they need it most.

“Our Plan for Jobs is delivering and opening up opportunities in every region and nation across the country, and we remain relentlessly focused on turning our jabs into jobs as we build back better.”

The support helps people out of work for three months by giving them access to the tailored, flexible support needed to move back into work quickly. That includes specialist advice on how they can utilise existing or build new skills to move into growing sectors where jobs are available such as green energy and construction, as well as CV and interview guidance.

Elliot Dock, aged 33, from Eastbourne is one of the successful JETS graduates now in work as a direct result of the scheme. He was struggling to find a job during the pandemic despite having previous experience of working on a farm. This was where his passion lay and his Work Coach set him up on a skills course to boost his employability.

He is now working for an agricultural contracting company based in West Sussex and is thankful for all the support he received in firing up his career again.

Elliot said:

“My experience of JETS has been outstanding. I’m so grateful for all the help in finding work, and not only any old job but something I’m actually interested in, at a place where I can build a career.”

Chief Executive of the Shaw Trust, one of the eleven organisations delivering the support, Chris Luck said:

“I’m delighted that through JETS we have supported Elliot back into the career field he enjoys.  We know that good work is more than just a job; it gives purpose and brings a sense of well-being.  

“At Shaw Trust, in partnership with the DWP, we are proud to support hundreds to return to work and see them begin to rebuild their lives.”

The announcement follows new employment figures released last week that showed the unemployment rate had fallen for a third month to 4.8% – with Government continuing to ramp up support to get people back into work.

Once enrolled the tailored programme also gives job hunters the boost they need to return to employment through an action plan agreed with their personal adviser, peer support and signposting to opportunities to build vital skills.

JETS is a key pillar of the Government’s Plan for Jobs which is helping people of all ages into work. The flagship Kickstart Scheme has seen an average of 400 young people a day start a job over the last month, with over 200,000 new high quality jobs created.

To help deliver the Plan, the DWP has recruited an additional 13,500 Work Coaches to protect, support and create jobs across the country, providing one-to-one support tailored to individual claimants and local jobs markets.