What is the Government Kickstart Jobs Scheme and How It Can Benefit Your Company?

The Government has launched the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme as our Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak promised. This will create thousands of new jobs for young people across the country.

Experts predicted over a million youngsters will be out of work this year but with the £2 billion funded project being at the forefront of the government’s recovery plan, Boris Johnson is fighting the crises of youth unemployment head-on. The Kickstart Scheme has been put in place to help young workers who are on the government-funded initiative, Universal Credit. Universal Credit was introduced in 2013 to help low-income or unemployed workers by giving them monthly payments to cover their living costs.

What are the main benefits of joining the Government Kickstart Jobs Scheme?

1. Create new 6 month job opportunities for young people. This will help the unemployed youth between the ages of 16 to 24, who are currently on Universal Credit and will assist their career development and future prospects.

2. Add young talent to your company's workforce with very limited costs. This can be done with the available funding of 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage which are as follows: £4.55 for those under 18 years of age £6.45 for 18-20 years old £8.20 for 21-24 years old

Employers are expected to offer contracts of a minimum of 25 hours per week. Employers can claim back the cost of the national minimum wage through the scheme, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. Employers may opt to increase these salaries.

3. Initiative of £1,500 per job placement available for setup costs. This includes providing support and training to Kickstart Scheme employees to help them secure permanent jobs at the end of the 6-month period.

4. The opportunity to help the younger generation build their career. When unemployment rates are so high, it feels good to know that you can be part of the solution by offering a helping hand in assisting the recovery plan.

We are proud to announce that Inspiring Interns & Graduates are now Kickstart Representatives

To apply directly to the scheme, your organisation must be creating a minimum of 30 job placements. However, as Kickstart Representatives, Inspiring Interns are bringing companies together to meet this placement criteria. If your company would like to apply to the scheme, but is unable to fulfil the 30 job placement requirement, get in touch and join our Kickstart Network. Once we have enough placements, we will then work to set up and manage the Kickstart Scheme on behalf of your company.

If we do not get enough interest, we will not go ahead with the application, but we are confident that the great benefits of this scheme will see many of our clients willing to apply to our Kickstart scheme in London.

When does the Kickstart scheme start and end?

The Kickstart Jobs Scheme officially launched on the 2nd of September, with employers able to submit the application of 30 or more placements, or have submitted through a Kickstart partner. The scheme will run until the end of December 2021, however, it may be extended depending on the needs of the economy and it will span the entire UK.

Which companies are eligible to join the Kickstart Scheme?

All UK companies offering decent jobs may enter the program, provided that the jobs they are making available to applicants are new and are not replacing any already existing jobs. There is no cap on place availability, so every kind of business is encouraged to join - big or small, national or local. The scheme covers England, Scotland, and Wales, with Northern Ireland soon to follow.

What are the role requirements?

1. Roles must be a minimum of 25 hours per week for 6 months.
2. Paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group.
3. Should not require people to undertake extensive training before they begin the job placement.

How can I apply for the Kickstart Scheme?

Register your interest with us and we will handle the application process. We are confident that we will have enough employers interested to make up the minimum of 30 placements. The expectation is for workers to begin their new roles in the Autumn.

Register your interest in our Kickstart Network