LABOUR demanded assurances today that the government’s new work scheme will actually produce meaningful job opportunities for unemployed young people.

The £2 billion Kickstart Scheme, which intends to fund “quality” six-month job placements for 16 to 24-year-olds claiming universal credit, launched on Wednesday.

The government has promised that funding for each job would cover the minimum wage for 25 hours per week, plus employers’ contributions for National Insurance and workplace pensions — though little other detail was available.