Kickstart Scheme

E&OE

Overview

The Kickstart Scheme UK is a new government scheme aiming to help encourage the employment of young people (specifically those aged between 16 to 24) currently on Universal Credit.

The scheme is a part of the government’s Plan for Jobs, aiming to create new jobs by funding employers for the purpose of hiring workers within this bracket, and helping keep young people in employment.

Update: Kickstart Scheme now extended to March 2022!

What’s in it for me?

The Government is paying 100 per cent of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions provided young people aged 16-24 are given quality positions with a minimum of 25 hours a week.

Employers can top up this wage if they want to, but this will have to be from their own funds.

In addition to this a sum of £1,500 is available per job placement for costs relating to support, training and the overall setup of the placement.

After young people within this age bracket have completed the Kickstart scheme UK, extra funding will be provided to help them build up experience, of which is aimed to help in subsequently achieving sustained employment.

How many people can I offer placements to?

THe Government changed the rules of the scheme early in 2021, which means that employers can apply directly to Gov.uk themselves for all placements they wish to offer. However, Gateways can still support you as an employer to cut out all of the red tape.

One of our partners (Learning & Skills Academy CIC) is an approved Government Gateway.

They will support you whether you want to hire just one young person or many.

You can apply online via their website

Please note there are other recognised gateways available on the Kickstart scheme UK.

What’s my commitment?

Young people will be referred into the new roles through their Jobcentre Plus work coach.

Companies will still have to supply a job description.

Once participants have started working within the new job placements, and this has been confirmed, only then will the initial costs for setups be paid in by the Government.

Information acquired through HMRC will be used to help the
government check that people are still employed in these job placements.

When these job roles are actively filled, the grant for this scheme will be paid in arrears.

How does it work?

Funding for the Kickstart scheme UK is available to employers only if and when their application is successful. Any type of organisation can apply, however there is criteria that employers will have to meet in order to be eligible for approval, this includes the following:

• The job placements must not be replacing planned/existing vacancies
• These placements must not result in existing employees/contractors  reducing their role in the business, or losing employment entirely
• The new job placements must offer a minimum of 25 hours per week throughout a 6 month period
• The placements must offer at the very least the National Minimum Wage relative to the age of the employee
• The placements should not need employees to undergo extensive training before the placement begins
• The placements must be exclusively for people between the ages of 16 – 24 who are on Universal Credit facing the risk of long-term unemployment

In addition to meeting the requirements listed above, applications for this funding should also detail how employers will help the young people who fill them to develop and grow on their experience and skill set.

This can include the following support:

• Helping the participating young people look for long-term work, e.g. careers advice
• Offering help with their CV and preparations for interviews
• Supporting participants with such essential skills such as timekeeping, teamwork and attendance

If the criteria is met and an employer’s application is approved, they will then receive a grant agreement in a letter.

In this agreement will be detailed both what the employer’s organisation has agreed and what they will provide, as well as the amount of funding they will be given from the scheme. The employer must sign the grant agreement, and return it as instructed in the letter before the job placements can commence.

Get started

We specialise in providing access to Government programs to help you grow your business and the region bounce back.

Digital Future First is a part funded EU project; it’s partners (Supplyant, DBFB and The Learning & Skills Academy) have access to many projects across the SEMLEP region and are here to support you and your business.

Contact us to check your eligibility now.

Find out more about Government Support

Although, we have access to a range of Government programs and incentives, you may want to look at the Government website.

See guidance and resources on good work experience including:

• work experience placements that work guide from CIPD
• The Kickstart Scheme
• employer case studies from Skills Training UK
• why they work videos from the Learning and Work Institute
• work experience quality standard accreditation from Fair Train

Get support to deliver work experience for people with learning difficulties or disabilities from:

• Access to Work