The Government has created a £2bn pot of money dedicated to helping young people start careers as we move forward from the challenges of COVID-19.
The Kickstart scheme offers 6-month paid job placements to 16-24 year olds, who are claiming Universal Credit, and at risk of long term unemployment.
All employers can take advantage of the scheme but those interested in recruiting less than 30 kickstarters within the first 6-months must with a gateway company such as Tech Manchester who will manage the process for them.
Partnering with Tech Manchester
As a not-for-profit organisation, our vision is to raise Manchester's profile as a world-class tech hub and that means supporting companies who are trying to grow through the toughest of times.
As a gateway for Kickstart, we'll represent businesses across the Greater Manchester region and navigate the schemes requirements finding talented young people who fit your business culture and are excited about starting a career with you.
We've teamed up with recruitment company MySort to deliver a complete service for any organisation looking to benefit from Kickstart.
With over 5 years of experience recruiting for award winning apprenticeship schemes, MySort will take your key criteria and co-ordinate the hiring process putting young talent that meets your needs most in front of you for consideration.
Once hired, we'll utilise our experience as a training provider to complement the placement with an ongoing series of skillset modules designed to improve each individuals' contribution to your organisation, making them a viable option for fulltime employment at the end of the placement.
Role requirements?
You can recruit into any area of your business as long as the roles are new jobs rather than existing vacancies and they do not replace/reduce the hours of existing employees or contractors.
The salary and hours of work can also be flexed to suit your company needs. The government will pay the baseline funding and you as an organisation can top up to the appropriate level.
The funding commitment
The government funding covers National Minimum Wage (or National Living Wage where applicable) for 25 hours per week for the full 6-month placement, along with associated employer NI and minimum automatic enrolment contributions.
With many businesses already signed up to our gateway, a number of approaches are emerging. Some companies will simply offer a 25-hour placement per week at minimum wage (with no cost to the employer), while, at the other end of the scale, some wish to top up to 40-hour weeks and significantly higher salaries.
All of this, of course, depends upon your roles and their requirements. Give us a call if you'd like any advice on the best way to approach this.
The funding will be paid to Tech Manchester as your gateway organisation and forwarded directly to you. It will be paid quarterly in arrears in month 4 (for 1-3) and shortly after the completion of the term (for 4-6).
