As part of the morning meeting in the Personal Advisors, we were lucky enough to meet Sean Banning, a Training Co-Ordinator from the Communities for Work Plus team in Conwy. Sean came to the team to talk about the Government’s Kickstart Programme. Below is an interview between the team and Sean talking about what the scheme is and how you can get involved.
Can you tell us about the Kickstart Programme?
Yes, of course. It is a Government funded programme, designed for 16-24 year olds who are on Universal Credit and are at risk of longer team unemployment. It is a paid six month placement. There is no guarantee of a permanent job beyond that point but the chances are certainly increased – if you don’t go on to a full time position with that company or organisation there is a really good chance you will find other positions with the experience you gain.
So I suppose it could be seen as a 6 month job interview?
Well you certainly go through the whole induction, you are treated like a full time employee with the same rights. It is a minimum of 25 hours per week and there is also an opportunity to undergo further training. There is a grant of £1500 towards people’s training.
And is that for each placement?
Yes, that’s for each placement- so there is an opportunity to get further qualifications within that area.
That £1500 – is it solely to be used for training or could it be used for other barriers such as childcare?
I believe it is to be used for training however there are avenues that you can explore to get financial assistance with some of the other barriers.
In terms of the 25 hours what pay is it and how does it impact on Universal Credit?
It is national minimum wage or living wage depending on which is more pertinent. In terms of impact – it has been designed to not have an adverse effect on the person in receipt of benefits.
The scheme ends at the end of this year, however, providing someone starts their placement before the 31st December then the six months will run from that date. The actual scheme will come to a halt on 31st December.
Is it EU or Welsh Government Funded?
The scheme is UK government funded.
So is there a chance the scheme will be continued?
I don’t think the scheme will be continued however there could be something instead of Kickstart.
What support do you offer?
We would work with the individual and support them, for example if they needed help with their CV. We actually have designed what we call a pre-Kickstart course. This is for somebody that may have been out of that sort of rhythm and activity such as applying for jobs, or attending interviews. The course is designed to support with the CV, creating it and making it relevant and fine-tuned. We will help people to understand job roles and how their CV can really match up with that; we will go through mock interviews. A lot of things are about building confidence, which is at the very core of things and then there can be ongoing support beyond that point. If somebody were to secure a placement then we would still support them if they needed that, especially through the early stages. Sometimes there may be a difference of opinion or a slight misinterpretation and we are there to act as independent support for them.
What makes it different from other schemes we have had previously for unemployment?
I can give an example of a similar scheme when I used to work for an Organisaition in HR. This was Welsh Government funded scheme and we had two young people that we brought in under that process and they went through the exact induction that we would have for permanent staff. If I am honest, I think my manager thought that this was a cheap way of getting labour in. However, they were in genuine roles. When you get to know the strengths and skills of the individual then you can start to tailor that role to different things. So they got fantastic experience, they got paid well doing it and at the end we offered them both full time positions. The reality is, and you’ll know yourself, the amount of knowledge, skills and experience you build up in that 6 months is incredible. And, for Organisations, if you then decide to recruit from the wider job market it is a much greater risk than to employ someone that you know can fit into the team, that has a good work ethic, that turns up on time; you know the standard of the work and you know that they have potential to develop their career. I can only go off that previous experience – it was a real, valuable, genuine opportunity for someone to go on and secure a full time position.
I think that is really exciting.
It is a catch 22 for younger people. They are applying for jobs that require experience and they can’t get the job because they haven’t got experience. Even if at the end of the 6 months, there isn’t a position for them for whatever reason, that 6 months is hugely valuable in at least getting them an interview, where previously they may not have got it.
How would you sell the Kickstart programme to a young person? Here’s your elevator pitch!
I guess picking up on the main points we’ve just covered, if you find that you are applying for jobs that want experience and you don’t have any this is absolutely perfect because it is a real position that you are filling. A lot of employers want to see evidence of how you fit into a team, the types of things you have achieved, all those things that you will achieve in 6 months and I would say the biggest thing that people will walk away with is absolute self-belief and confidence. Whether that Kickstart placement leads to a position of employment or not, it will instil in them an unstoppable belief that they’ll secure another position because they have been able to achieve outcomes that they may have previously thought were beyond them. If anyone wants to start their career- this is, I think, probably the best place to start. There are probably 80+ vacancies to choose from.
Definitely. I think this is the first scheme I have seen that actually recognises that benefits are difficult to come off. When you’re on it and that is the way you fund your life- to move over to monthly payments, to match with your benefit payments and to recognise that sometimes people are disadvantaged moving from benefits into employment. It is the first scheme I have come across that recognises this which is really refreshing.
The placements we have with Conwy Council, I think there are 24 or 27 in total, there is parity where needed on the benefits. So, I think sometimes we look at the pay and that is really important but, certainly with the council, there are lots of additional benefits as in reduced membership for leisure centres, flexi time, it’s fantastic. I just think that this is a launch pad for people that may feel a bit stuck, this will be a stepping stone to go onto long term employment.
I was quite impressed with the roles Conwy have offered. They are real jobs not just ad-hoc roles and they will be a proper experience.
It’s a really good point you bring up there. I think for some people they still feel it’s like the work experience – it’s all the menial jobs that you’ve been meaning to do and can’t get round to do or have no motivation to do, like the photocopying, filing or making endless cups of tea- all those types of jobs. But actually, certainly the roles I’ve seen available at the Council, and I’ve been on some webinars where people have spoken about their kickstart placement that they are looking to fill, are genuine roles. What makes it work, and why it worked really well in the previous company, was dedicated time by the mentor take them through an induction rather than see them as an inconvenience. It was mapped out what they were going to do in week 1, week 2 etc and again made the people feel part of the company. It’s just like you were going to bring any other employee into the company.
The DWP have been doing webinars about the vacancies and someone will come on and talk about the roles they are offering. There was one role in a hotel whereby it was very clear to me they wanted to invest in that young person and help them grow. They had also factored in some rewards and included certain bonuses, for example turning up on time for the first month meant an uplift and it was really well structured.
How can a young person refer to the project?
So, we will be promoting through our own placements through social media channels etc. The wider placements are not advertised under Kickstart, but under the Government ‘Find a Job’ website; the positions will be advertised on there. The other route is to speak to your work coach at the job centre. They can say “I’m interested in Kickstart and these are the types of roles I’m into,” the work coach can support with this and then the young person can start the application process. The application has to come through the DWP.
My final question is – what is the most exciting job you’ve seen through the Kickstart Programme?
To be honest, the most exciting job I’ve seen is with the Council- that may just be my preference but there is a Trainee Boat Operative Kickstart placement who will work with the Harbour Master down at the marina.
We’ve also seen this placement and it sounds brilliant and so different.
I just think for somebody that likes to be outdoors, likes the sea, it’s a genuine position where they’re going to get valuable experience. What happens beyond the 6 months is a question mark but that is the one that stood out for me.
The Kickstart Scheme provides a 6 month paid job with a local employer, fully funded by the Government to give young people the opportunity to gain experience of working in a diverse range of sectors, including tech and digital, creative industries, engineering and manufacturing, marketing, sports, beauty, retail, forestry, and many more.
As well as the job you will also be receiving additional employability support to help boost your employment prospects in the future.
Click the button to visit the Kickstart page on the JobCentre Plus site:
The Kickstart Scheme provides a 6 month paid job with a local employer, fully funded by the Government to give young people the opportunity to gain experience of working in a diverse range of sectors, including tech and digital, creative industries, engineering and manufacturing, marketing, sports, beauty, retail, forestry, and many more.
As well as the job you will also be receiving additional employability support to help boost your employment prospects in the future.
Visit the Kickstart page on the JobCentre Plus site:
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