What is the Kickstart Scheme?
If you’re aged 16-24 and claiming Universal Credit, you might be able to get a six-month job with a local employer through the Kickstart Scheme. Kickstart jobs are funded by the Government to offer exciting opportunities for young people to gain valuable work experience.
What does Kickstart Offer?
Kickstart is a great opportunity. Not only does it give you access to a six-month paid job, you will also get valuable experience to build up your CV, extra support to boost your future job prospects and help to start your career. Funding for Kickstart jobs cover 25 hours per week and pays at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage depending on how old you are. You will be paid by your employer and depending on your circumstance, you may continue to receive Universal Credit once you start work.
Devon (Social Media & Marketing Executive)
Following the pandemic, it’s made some people’s lives difficult including my own. Having to leave my job at the start of 2021 and being put on the Kickstarter Scheme, my work coach Rachel suggested I should look within the same area of my field of work. Graduating in Media Production and Moving Image it had its perks, alongside media I managed my own social media account and had a decent understanding of marketing myself as a brand. I create BMX content, videos and photography helped my understanding but starting again in a new field was a challenge. I was in recruitment… a very unfamiliar field but Chris Buck and Howard Rudder gave me a chance to see what I can do to help RecruitME. Richard Mawer helped along the way too and 9 months down the line I’m learning more every day and my experience within the role is forever growing.
Sophie (Recruitment and Resourcing Executive)
I found out about the Kickstart Scheme when I had started my “job search journey” following from graduating University in the summer of 2021. I didn’t have a clear idea of what kind of industry I wanted to enter and felt overwhelmed by the whole prospect of applying for careers in industries in which I had little to no experience in. I was advised by family members to sign up for Universal Credit and to get in contact with my local Jobcentre in Grantham. This was the right decision as within a week I had a meeting set up at the Jobcentre with a Work Coach to discuss what type of industries and roles I was interested in and, they offered to look over my CV for me – which was very extremely helpful as I was unsure if my CV was up to scratch. In this initial meeting, I was recommended by my work coach to join the Kickstart scheme, a programme I was unfamiliar with, which would allow me to apply for various of roles in industries I was interested in gaining experience in – such as recruitment and marketing.
I eventually landed the opportunity to work with RecruitME, as a Recruitment and Resourcing Assistant and over the last 6 months I have had the opportunity to grow my confidence and skillset so much in such a small timeframe. I have also been offered the opportunity to continue with the company past the six-month programme, which I am really happy as it means I can continue to grow and learn from the amazing RecruitME team. The Kickstart Scheme is a brilliant opportunity for young people to build experience within the world of work and build upon skills they have gained from their education or life experience, and I would recommend other young people to join.
Shannon (Recruitment and Resourcing Assistant)
I have always worked from the age of 14 years old. I fell pregnant with my son when I was 18, meaning I had some time off from employment until the age of 20. Sadly, due to coronavirus I was unable to find myself work that was permanent, contracted and offered flexibility with childcare but also helped me progress within my career. Joining the kickstart programme allowed me to apply to roles that I at the time had no experience in but wanted to look at going forward. This took an element of self-doubt out of equation as employers were open to candidates with a lot less experience. I am now currently employed via the kickstart scheme with RecruitME Grantham, who are giving me the required training and experience I was looking for. It is my second week so far here at RecruitME and I already have more knowledge on admin roles and the duties expected from the role itself. The kickstart scheme is only a six-month programme, however, can lead to a contract from the company. Here’s to many more months of expanding my professional knowledge and experience!
Chris (Managing Director)
We have enjoyed tremendous success using the Kickstart Scheme and have been delighted to welcome, Devon, Sophie and Shannon into the business, all of whom have had a significant impact.
We were first contacted by Katy from BGU (Bishop Grosseteste University) at the beginning of 2021, who told us all about the scheme. After an awful 12 months of trading due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, we were at first hesitant as all of our focus was on stabilising the business and trying to bring sales back to an appropriate level. Having discussed the opportunity further both internally and with Katy, we decided to set the ball in motion with trying to recruit for 3 roles through the scheme (our expectations were not very high at all).
Following a slow start with referrals, we soon received a couple of applications and successfully recruited Devon in July 2021 for our Marketing role and Sophie in September 2021 for our recruitment support role. Both Devon and Sophie settled in quickly and made the roles their own in no time at all, both adding real value to the business, so much so that Devon was offered a permanent role in January 2022 and Sophie was offered a permanent role in March 2022. Shannon joined us on the Kickstart scheme at the end of February 2022 and has settled in well and is picking up the role very quickly.
As a business we have gone from strength to strength since our 3 additional hires joined us, which is a real testament to them and the talent we have available to us locally. I would also like to thank BGU and Sonia (Kickstart Employer Adviser) who have supported us through the whole process.
