Nottingham City Council’s employment and skills service, Nottingham Jobs, has successfully applied to be a local representative for the Government’s new Kickstart scheme, a £2 billion national fund which it is hoped will create high quality job roles for local residents aged 16 to 24.
Supporting young people in Nottingham who are at risk of long term unemployment, who have seen a decline in suitable roles due to COVID-19 or have faced increased competition for jobs which will see them earn and start their careers, is currently a significant priority for the council.
The funding available through Kickstart will create six-month work placements, after which it is hoped that young employees will have the skills and experience needed to secure longer-term employment.
Kickstart will also enable businesses, which may also be facing challenges themselves due to the pandemic, to support local job seekers and overcome any skills shortages they may be experiencing.
Any local organisation, regardless of their size, can apply for funding from the Kickstart scheme to create new six-month job placements to suit their business needs and support young job seekers. Based on their business needs, organisations will have the option to create up to 30 placements or 30 plus placements as part of the Kickstart scheme.
Nottingham City Council’s role as a Kickstart representative employer will be to support SME businesses who are looking to create up to 30 placements.
To achieve this, Nottingham Jobs advisers based within the service along with partners in the D2N2 Skills Access Hub and D2N2 Growth Hub which work with local small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) will:
- Discuss the needs of the business
- Provide advice on eligibility criteria
- Support an application to Kickstart
- Support interviews and/or work academies
- Provide advice to job seeking applicants
- Signpost to other suitable services
To find out more information or to start the process, these businesses are encouraged to visit www.nottinghamjobs.com/kickstart or email Kickstart@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Organisations wishing to create over 30 Kickstart placements can submit their application directly online at www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme
The suitability of the job role for a young person is at the heart of Kickstart, and the roles created should help the participants to develop their skills and experience and not require people to undertake extensive training before they can begin the job placement.
It is also important that the new roles do not impact on an employer’s existing workforce by replacing existing or planned vacancies. Placements should support the participant to develop the skills and experience they need to find work after completing the scheme.
Councillor Neghat Khan, Portfolio Holder for Employment said; “Nottingham City Council, through the Nottingham Jobs service, with the support of the D2N2 Growth Hub and projects like the D2N2 Skills Access Hub, are committed to meeting the needs of local employers and giving job seekers opportunities to find training and employment.
“Helping local employers to access Kickstart funding will not only be an investment in them and meet their skills needs, it will enable young job seekers to make successful progress into the jobs market at a time when they face real and life-limiting challenges to finding work.”
To find out more, visit www.nottinghamjobs.com/kickstart or email Kickstart@nottinghamcity.gov.uk