City employers urged to ‘Kickstart’ careers for young people

KICKSTART: Hull City Council is appealing to businesses to give young people a chance

Hull businesses are being urged to get involved in a new £2bn scheme to create job placements for young people.

The city council is looking for employers to be part of the Government-funded ‘Kickstart’ scheme, which aims to provide high-quality work placements for young people who are at risk of long-term unemployment.

The council has committed to finding 30 placements for people in the city aged 16 to 24 who are claiming Universal Credit.

The scheme, part of the Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs’, sees young people placed with employers for a minimum six months to help them develop skills and experience to find work.

Businesses taking part will receive up to £1,500 in support for training, support and other costs such as uniforms.

The local authority is also offering to provide wages and costs up front for participating businesses, so payments made in arrears do not affect cash flow. 

Councillor Daren Hale, deputy leader of Hull City Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the city’s young people who are most at risk of long-term unemployment. These six-month work placements provide a chance for young people to develop vital skills. We have already been approached by several businesses in the city keen to get involved.

“It is never easy to be looking for work, but Covid-19 has hit job opportunities for people of all ages. This scheme can help break the cycle for some. It is vital for the future of the city’s economy that we help as many people as possible into secure employment.” 

The service is being run from Hull Central Library. The first participants are set to take up Kickstart roles from November, with the scheme expected to remain open until December 2021 and the final cohort of six-month roles to end in Summer 2022. 

The council is looking to work with Hull businesses in a bid to create more than 500 placement opportunities on top of the 30 placements it will create. 

Kickstart is open to employers of all sizes, which must demonstrate a role is an additional job that will provide the experience and support to help improve a young person’s chances of permanent employment.  

Funding available for each job will cover the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions, where applicable for six months.  

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

The council is also offering access to training opportunities through its network of providers for those in the placements. 

Employers interested in taking placements should email company details, numbers of placements and, if possible, proposed job outlines to employmentinclusionteam@hullcc.gov.uk, or call 01482 613347, 613117, 612611 or 613478 to speak with a member of the team. 

Find more details about the Kickstart scheme at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-can-apply-for-a-grant-through-the-kickstart-scheme.