Two young workers have been taken on by the city council under the Government’s Kickstart scheme to tackle youth unemployment.

Luke Keys and Mason Debanks, both 24, have joined Highways and Engineering as road workers.

The scheme was launched last year to create jobs for 16- to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

Oxford Direct Services has six Kickstart vacancies, advertised through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), that will pay the Oxford Living Wage, which is above the national minimum wage.

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From 15 referrals from the DWP it is now selecting suitable candidates for roles as road workers, administrators, countryside assistants and project assistants.

Chris Harvey, organisational development and learning specialist at ODS, said: “We know that the country has faced some difficult times over the last year, with many young people experiencing unemployment and job losses as a result of the pandemic.

“Thanks to the Kickstart Scheme, we’re able to provide some much-needed opportunities for young people in our area. They will gain real-life work experience, and learn new and transferable skills, which we hope will help them secure full-time employment in the future, be it with us, or elsewhere.

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“We welcome fresh blood and new ideas – something a company like ours cannot do without.”

ODS already runs an apprenticeship programme with 10 young people currently working toward qualifications as road workers, electricians, construction engineers and arborists among other roles.

The company is looking to recruit later in the year.