New scheme launched in UK to help those left jobless by Covid-19

The Department for Work and Pensions said the Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) scheme will help those left jobless due to the Covid-19 pandemic to get back into work.

Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey walks to the Houses of Parliament, London, Britain, May 6, 2020.
Reuters

Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey walks to the Houses of Parliament, London, Britain, May 6, 2020.

The British government has launched a new employment programme aimed at helping those left jobless due to the Covid-19 pandemic to get back into work.

The Department for Work and Pensions said on Monday the Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) scheme would be backed by a 238 million pound ($308 million) investment.

The ministry said jobseekers put forward for the scheme would have access to tailored, flexible support to quickly get back into employment. 

This could involve specialist advice on how people could move into growing sectors, as well as coaching on CVs and interviews.

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"JETS will give recently unemployed people the helping hand they need to get back into work, boosting the prospects of more than a quarter of a million people across Britain," said Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey.

A government subsidy scheme for workers on furlough is due to expire on October 31 and be replaced with a less comprehensive job support scheme. Economists have warned that unemployment risks rising sharply, with the Bank of England penciling in a jump in the jobless rate to 7.5%.

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The opposition Labour Party said the announcement on the JETS scheme was too little, too late.

"By the government's own admission at least 4 million people could lose their jobs during the crisis. All it can muster in response are piecemeal schemes and meaningless slogans," said Jonathan Reynolds, Labour's policy chief on work and welfare.

He said the new scheme relied on already overstretched work coaches on the ground.

READ MORE: Latest global Covid-19 updates 

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