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Kickstart Scheme

Kickstart Scheme2022-10-13T13:43:55+01:00

UPDATE – Unfortunately, the Kickstart Scheme has now ended.

Check out our Help and Advice section for other support available.


The Kickstart Scheme is an excellent opportunity not only to grow your business, but also to invest in young people and provide them with a head start in their careers. Many of which are struggling to find employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a specialist Kickstart Gateway organisation, we can support your business by confirming your eligibility, guiding you through the process and applying on your behalf, all free of charge.

What is the Kickstart Scheme?

In June, the Chancellor announced the Kickstart Scheme, a new government initiative to help provide high-quality employment opportunities to thousands of young jobseekers across the country. In an attempt to assist the UK economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic.

As part of the government’s ‘Plan for Jobs’, the £2 billion scheme aims to create new 6-month job placements with local employers across England, Scotland and Wales. The placements are for young people aged 16-24 years old who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

For each placement, the government will cover the cost of:

  • 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week
  • The associated employer National Insurance contributions
  • Employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions
  • An additional payment of up to £1500 to help support set up costs, initial training and provide the candidate with additional employability support

As an employer, you can use the Kickstart scheme to provide new roles for some of the 250,000 young people on welfare benefits and help them develop skills and experience to find work.

Am I Eligible?

Any organisation, regardless of size, can apply for funding providing the roles you offer:

  • are for a minimum of 25 hours per week, for 6 months
  • are paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group
  • do not replace existing or planned vacancies or cause existing employees or contractors to lose or reduce their employment

To take full advantage of this opportunity, simply:

Contact us directly via email at kickstart@embracingfuturepotential.com

OR

Fill out our quick online application form and a member of our team will be in touch to take you through the next steps.

Wraparound Support

As well as providing the job, employers are expected to support young people in Kickstart roles by providing wraparound support to help them develop their work skills. This is to ensure that young people can move into some form of sustained employment on completion of their placement.

This could include help with CV writing, interview preparation, or training to develop their communication or timekeeping skills.

At Embracing Future Potential, we can manage and deliver this support on your behalf so you can focus on other priorities.

How Do I Apply?

As a Kickstart Gateway, we will:

  • Gather information from you about the job placements you’d like to offer
  • Use this information to submit an online application on your behalf with a group of other employers
  • Pass on the relevant payments made by DWP to you (for example the young person’s salary)
  • Provide you with a variety of employability skills and additional development options

To find out more information, get in touch with a member of our kickstart team or check out our FAQ page.

How Does It Work?

After we submit an application on your behalf, young people will be referred directly to you through their Jobcentre Plus work coach, and you can go through your usual recruitment processes to select a suitable candidate.

We will transfer your initial setup payment when you are able to confirm the young person has started work, is enrolled on your payroll and is being paid through PAYE.

The Department for Work and Pensions will use information from HMRC to check that the young person is still employed and will pay remaining funding in arrears. The remaining funding payments towards wages and other associated contributions are made in arrears at month 2, 4 and 6 of the work placement.

The scheme is expected to remain open until December 2021 and the final cohort of six-month roles to end in Summer 2022.

To take full advantage of this opportunity, simply:

OR

  • Fill out our quick online application form and a member of our team will be in touch to take you through the next steps.
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