Charities are being encouraged to make use of the government’s revised youth job creation scheme after it was made simpler for employers to get involved.
The Kickstart scheme provides funding for six-month job placements for 16- to 24-year-olds who are at risk of long-term unemployment.
It has created more than 120,000 roles across all industries since it was launched in September, the government said.
In October, Mims Davies, the employment minister, urged more charities to get involved in the programme.
The first phase of the scheme required organisations to have a minimum of 30 vacancies to be eligible, making it harder for many charities to take part.
But the government has removed this minimum requirement, meaning that if a charity wanted to create one new job it could apply directly to the scheme.
Previously many charities were only able to get involved if they partnered a gateway organisation, such as a membership body or local authority, which could co-ordinate applications from many different charities and submit on their behalf.
Duncan Shrubsole, director of policy and communications at the grant-maker the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, said the change of requirements should enable more voluntary sector organisations to use the scheme.
“The Kickstart scheme offers an opportunity for charities to create much-needed new jobs for young people and have costs covered by the government for six months,” he said.
“At a time when charities are seeing rising demand alongside financial challenges, opening up the scheme so that small charities can apply directly without needing to create 30 new roles means the scheme is more much more accessible and will, hopefully, enable more charities to benefit.”