A “LAST big push” is underway to help young people back to work after figures showed unemployment has fallen in the borough.

This was as the most recent figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions has shown the number of Universal Credit claimants in Bolton has fallen by 26 per cent over the last year.

The figures were particularly pronounced among young people, with the same figures showing the rate of 18 to 24 year olds claiming the benefit had fallen by 40 per cent over the same period, which job centre managers attribute in part to the Kickstart scheme.

Penny Applegate, DWP Bolton partnership manager, said: “A lot of people have been going into Kickstart, we’ve seen hundreds of young people in Bolton going into these schemes.

“There’s going to be a last big push for Kickstart opportunities in Bolton. For young people who haven’t got anything lined up, it’s a great opportunity.”

The government’s £2bn Kickstart Scheme aims to give young people the opportunity to find work, develop skills, and get a crucial first step on the career ladder by paying firms to create high-quality jobs for 16-24-year olds on Universal Credit.

The scheme draws to a close this year, But there is still a Kickstart jobs fair set to take place at Bolton job centre on Friday, February 11.

DWP staff have also tried to encourage older people back to work with a range of programmes aimed at reassuring people who may have been out of the jobs market for some time and may not feel confident applying for jobs by electronic means.

Ms Applegate said: "Once again, the good news is that there are a lot of jobs out there, its just a case of getting people into them."