Date published:
6 October 2025
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced a new £12.4 million employment drive to support working age benefit claimants into work.
JobStart will seek to build new connections between employers and workers, creating work opportunities while tackling economic inactivity, right across Northern Ireland.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said:
“JobStart is the biggest jobs programme of its kind, reaching more people and employers than any previous employment strategy.
“I am investing in both new employees and employers to create good quality work opportunities across Northern Ireland.
“It will build upon the success of previous programmes recently delivered by the Department which were positively endorsed both by employers and jobseekers.”
The new scheme will support over 1,200 working age benefit claimants into work.
JobStart will be open to all claimants, providing support for people across Northern Ireland to enter and thrive in the labour market.
Each participant will receive tailored help and bespoke training and development opportunities to enhance long-term employability.
This support, which includes collaboration with quality employers, will help JobStart create pathways to permanent employment.
Minister Lyons said:
“Employment is one of the best pathways out of poverty and I am prioritising the provision of employment support to help people overcome the barriers that are faced in moving into, retaining and progressing in employment.
“The name JobStart is an already well-established brand that is recognised by participants, employers, and key stakeholders.
“I want to continue to build on the successes of the previous JobStart schemes to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in work and to develop critical employability skills.”
The new initiative follows on from previous JobStart schemes, with the first launching in 2021. Since then, over 4,000 employers have sought to use the Schemes; more than 3,000 jobseekers have participated; 2,178 gained employment and 160 moved into education or training.
Alan Wallace, Managing Director of All The Way Creative, said:
“The JobStart scheme has been a valuable support for our business, giving us access to motivated young people eager to gain experience.
“We were able to recruit candidates who fit well with our team, and the process was straightforward and supportive throughout. Overall, it’s been a positive experience that has benefited both our organisation and the individuals involved.”
Gary Hazlett, Director of K9ndergarten Ltd, said:
“The JobStart programme is a fabulous scheme that benefits both the candidates and the employer. As a small, growing business, the programme helped the company bridge that tricky period of growth that small businesses face between gaining more clients and recruiting more staff.
“The programme is well structured, with great support from the Department for Communities; it has helped the trainees develop their occupational and employability skills along with real life work experience. We were so pleased with the success of the programme that we were able to offer permanent roles to all those who completed the programme.
“The JobStart scheme has been one of Northern Ireland Assembly’s great success stories and we are delighted to see its return.”
Invest Northern Ireland was actively involved in the previous schemes and will encourage its client companies to avail of this latest version of JobStart.
JobStart will feature two strands, the first offering paid employment of 25 hours per week for a six-month period at National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage.
The second strand – aimed at those with recognised additional barriers to entering the workforce – will offer 15 hours of employment per week for nine months. Additional flexibility will be available to enable Work Coaches, across the department’s Jobs and Benefits office network, to tailor the opportunity to the needs of the individual.
A new portal has been opened allowing employers to register for the scheme. This can be accessed on the Department’s website.
JobStart opportunities for participants are now live on the Department for Communities’ jobapplyni website with further opportunities being made available in the coming days and weeks. The department’s Work Coaches will help and guide claimants into suitable opportunities.
Notes to editors:
Photo caption: Communities Minister Gordon Lyons is pictured with Gary Hazlett and Carla Marriott, K9ndergarten and Caorlan McAllister from Halfway House as he has announced a new £12.4 million employment drive to support working age benefit claimants into work.A copy of Minister Lyons’ full Statement to the Assembly will be available on the Department’s website. The new scheme will allow 1,234 working age benefit claimants to participate.Across the previous JobStart schemes, over 4,000 employer applications have been approved; more than 3,000 jobseekers participated on the schemes; with more than 2,000 participants gaining employment and over 150 moving into education or training.The first JobStart employment scheme was launched as a COVID response in 2021 to improve the employability and chances of sustained employment for young people aged 16-24.Since the first scheme launched in 2021 the department has developed additional schemes continually adapting to meet the changing needs of both employers and jobseekers. Today’s launch sees the widest ranging programme yet, open to claimants of all ages.For media enquiries please contact the Press Office via email.Follow the Department on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.