Jobseekers in Greater Manchester are set to benefit from a new employment programme launching locally on Monday October 19.

JETS – Job Entry Targeted Support – is backed by a £238 million investment and dedicated to supporting those left jobless due to Covid-19.

Targeting those out of work for three months, JETS will see the Department for Work and Pensions ramp up support for claimants to ensure those put forward for the scheme have access to tailored, flexible support to quickly get back into employment.

The new programme will see a number of providers offer a range of help, including specialist advice on how people can move into growing sectors, as well as CV and interview coaching.

The programme will also give job hunters the boost they need to return to employment through an action plan agreed with their personal Work Coach, peer support and opportunities to build their skills.

Secretary of state for work and pensions Therese Coffey said: “JETS will give recently unemployed people the helping hand they need to get back into work, boosting the prospects of more than a quarter of a million people across Britain.

“We have provided unprecedented support for jobs during the pandemic including through furlough and subsidising the incomes of the self-employed, doing all we can to protect peoples’ livelihoods - but sadly not every job can be saved.

“This scheme will help those left out of work as a result of Covid-19, and is one strand of our wider Plan for Jobs which will also support young people onto the jobs ladder through Kickstart, offer the training needed to pivot into new roles through our Sector Based Work Academy Programme and prepare people for getting back into work.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:“Our unprecedented support has protected millions of livelihoods and businesses since the start of the pandemic, but I’ve always been clear that we can’t save every job.”

“I’ve spoken about the damaging effects of being out of work, but through JETS we will provide fresh opportunities to those that have sadly lost their jobs, to ensure that nobody is left without hope.”