Looking for a Kickstart representative organisation with training & development support?

The government has launched the Kickstart Scheme to create new 6-month job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The job placements should support the participants to develop the skills and experience they need to find work after completing the scheme.

​

Funding is available for 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum pension contributions. 

​

Kickstart is not an apprenticeship, but participants may move on to an apprenticeship at any time during, or after their job placement.

Any organisation, regardless of size, can apply for funding. 

​

The job placements created with Kickstart funding must be new jobs. They must not:

• replace existing or planned vacancies

• cause existing employees or contractors to lose or reduce their employment

​

The roles you are applying for must be:

• a minimum of 25 hours per week, for 6 months

• paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group

• should not require people to undertake extensive training before they begin the job placement.

 

Our Role as your Representative

 

This is a brand new government scheme, so we expect some changes along the way. But essentially our role will include:

• Ensuring each employer has created a role and job description that will best suit this programme of work and meet all eligibility criteria

• Collating the supporting documents required from each employer to apply for a Kickstart role

• Submitting each employer’s application for a Kickstart role to the Government

• Supporting each employer in choosing their Kickstart participant through the relevant government processes (further details to follow)

• Distributing the government grants to cover the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions for each Kickstart participant to each employer

• Providing a full training and support package (see Training and support section) for each Kickstart participant

• Facilitating any useful sharing of knowledge and information across our network of represented employers to support the best possible outcomes and the Kickstart post-holders.

​

You will be responsible for:

• Employing your Kickstart participant (including providing a contract of employment and regular payslips)

• Day-to-day management of your Kickstart participant

• Internal inductions or role-specific training of your Kickstart participant

​

Training and Support

​

The government stipulates that each application should include how you will help the participants to develop their skills and experience, including:

• support to look for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals

• support with CV and interview preparations

• supporting the participant with basic skills, such as attendance, timekeeping and teamwork

 

At Change Agents UK, we have been providing training and development to young people starting their careers for over 20 years. We are therefore offering every Kickstart placement the opportunity to gain the required training, plus additional mentoring and networking support, through us.

​

There is funding of £1500 for each placement available for setup costs, support and training. Our training and support package, £1000 per participant, will come at no cost to you as the employer thanks to this funding from the government. For every Kickstart placement holder this will include:

​​

• Interactive Essential Workplace Skills workshops covering key skills such as communication, teamwork, time management and prioritisation

• Sustainability and Skills for the Future workshop covering an introduction to sustainability, how social and environmental issues can be tackled through work, and the skills needed for the 21st century workplace

• 1:1 phone support from our experienced team providing objective/goal-setting and personalised career advice

• Access to our online Learning Academy

• Supported networking opportunities

• An end of placement online interactive workshop on networking, CV and application skills and tailored next steps advice

• Monitoring & Evaluation of the scheme outcomes.

 

Alongside this we ask that each employer provides an suitable induction programme, supportive line management and any role-specific training required to ensure that employers and Kickstarters are able to gain the most possible from their time on placement.

​

How to apply

We have now closed applications to our Gateway but we are able to support direct applicants with their own submission and training requirements. If you would like to find out more about this please call us on 01572 723419 or email contact@changeagents.org.uk

​

FAQs

Frequently asked questions can be found at changeagents.org.uk/kickstart-faqs

Updated 16/11/2021