Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced the launch of a new £12.4 million employment drive, designed to support working-age benefit claimants into work across Northern Ireland.

The Minister described the JobStart programme as the "biggest jobs programme of its kind," aiming to build connections between employers and workers to tackle economic inactivity. The new scheme is expected to support over 1,200 working-age benefit claimants into employment.

JobStart is open to all claimants and will provide participants with tailored help, alongside bespoke training and development opportunities to enhance long-term employability. This support, including collaboration with quality employers, is designed to create pathways to permanent employment.

The scheme will feature two main strands:

– Main Strand: Offering paid employment of 25 hours per week for a six-month period at the National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage. – Additional Barrier Strand: Aimed at those with recognised extra barriers to work, offering 15 hours of employment per week for nine months.

Minister Lyons reaffirmed his priority of providing employment support to help people overcome barriers: "Employment is one of the best pathways out of poverty."

The new initiative builds on previous JobStart schemes, which have demonstrated significant success since 2021. Past results show that over 4,000 employers sought to use the schemes, more than 3,000 jobseekers participated, and 2,178 gained employment.

Employers can now register for the scheme via a new portal on the www.communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/jobstart Department's website. Opportunities for participants are live on the jobapplyni website, with Departmental Work Coaches available to help claimants find suitable roles.