Jobseekers will soon be able to apply for a range of brand new roles in Charnwood, created as part of the government Kickstart programme.
Loughborough College’s award-winning apprenticeship and employer engagement team co-ordinated the scheme in Charnwood and has received initial confirmation for 75 roles which will be posted on Jobcentre portals from next month.
The £2billion Kickstart scheme enables employers to offer six-month job placements for 16-24-year-olds at risk of long-term unemployment.
The college, working with Loughborough MP Jane Hunt, Charnwood Borough Council, Loughborough BID and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has identified more than 100 local employers who want to participate, and aims to create more than 100 roles in total.
Roles available include administration, marketing, payroll, contact centre, logistics, web design, communications, health, football development in a range of top organisations including the College, Charnwood Borough Council, DHL, Leicester City FC, travel companies, pharmaceutical companies and solicitor firms.
Jo Maher, Principal & CEO of Loughborough College, which will offer 30 roles, said: “I am delighted to see the Kickstart scheme taking off, there are some incredible job opportunities with very impressive employers.
“I’m so proud that Loughborough College has been able to play such an important role in supporting the scheme which will help the community recover from Covid, boost the local economy and add much-needed capacity to our workforce.
“Some of the temporary roles could potentially open up new career paths so I see Kickstart as a way of creating progression pathways.”
The government has committed to fully funding each “Kickstart” job - paying 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week.
Employers will be able to top up this wage, while the government will also pay employers £1,500 to set up support and training for people on a Kickstart placement.
Loughborough MP Jane Hunt said: “It’s great to see that the Kickstart scheme is already delivering high-quality employment opportunities locally. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone involved, including Loughborough College, Charnwood Borough Council, Loughborough BID and the DWP who have made this possible. I am also delighted to see that Loughborough College have offered 30 of these roles, which underlines their commitment to creating clear pathways to employment for all.”
Cllr Shona Rattray, lead member for business support for Charnwood Borough Council, said: “We have a battle on our hands to get the economy going again and a key element of recovery will be to help people learn new skills and make themselves more employable. The Kickstart scheme is a great way to do that and I am really pleased to see it moving forward.”
Lisa Brown, Love Loughborough BID Manager, said: “It’s great to see so many of Loughborough’s employers take advantage of the Kickstart Scheme to enable young people to tap into good quality work experience opportunities which could lead to permanent employment. Love Loughborough BID is working with local partners to promote the scheme as part of its commitment to supporting the local economic recovery.”
For more information, please contact kickstart@loucoll.ac.uk or visit https://www.loucoll.ac.uk/employers/kickstart.