About the Scheme

The Kickstart Scheme is part of the government’s Plan for Jobs and provides funding to employers to create new 6-month job placements for young people 16-24 years old, who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

 Funding will cover for each job placement:

  • 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week
  • The associated employer National Insurance contributions
  • Employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions

There will also be extra funding of £1500 to support young people to build experience, soft skills and help them move into sustained employment after they have completed their Kickstart Scheme funded job.

CRITERIA FOR EMPLOYERS

Kickstart scheme job placements must:

  • Be for a minimum of 25 hours per week, for six months
  • Pay the national minimum wage through PAYE and statutory employers national insurance contributions and employer automatic enrolment contributions
  • Should not require people to undertake extensive training before they begin the job placement
  • The job placements must be new jobs, and not replace existing or planned vacancies or cause existing employees to lose or reduce their employment
  • Employers must provide employability skills & job search help them into work after their placement

HOW TO GET THE FUNDING

If your organisation is creating fewer than 30 job placements, you cannot apply directly. But you can partner with other companies to create 30 vacancies via an approved gateway provider such as a training provider, and that’s where at Aspire to Learn can help.

As your KickStart representative, we take care of all the training, admin and payroll for you.

  • Assist with creating the roles and job placements you require
  • Work with the local job centres to on your behalf, pre-screening candidates for you
  • Provide the mandatory training for you during the employees time off
  • Manage and pass on the relevant payments made by DWP to you (for example the young person’s salary)
  • Provide a mentor for both you and the employee through the scheme
  • Manage, and direct the placement funding for you and to you

WHY USE ASPIRE TO LEARN

We have over 13 years of experience in providing Apprenticeship, Upskill and staff training to young people across a wide range of sectors from business, to health and social care.

Experts at pre-screening, recruiting and helping you find the right candidates for your job roles

Have a proven track record in managing of partnership agreements with third parties

We have a robust financial and governance processes to manage the application and payment process

We already have the mandatory training provision in place and will manage the training and onboarding for you.

HOW WE WILL SUPPORT YOU

We manage your application to the DWP along with your partner SME’s

Help you recruit the right candidate

Mentor you and the young person throughout the programme

Provide mandatory training employability training including C.V and interview skills and include soft skills training such as attendance, timekeeping, communication, confidence and assertiveness skills

Provide evidence and certification for both your company and the candidate

Offer IAG and progression opportunities for the young people to look for permanent jobs, apprenticeships and or further education

HOW TO APPLY

Flowchart



Book a Kickstarter

We will help to manage the process for you as the group representative where we will collectively help more than 30 young people into employment. Thank you for taking interest and for helping to create this new opportunity for someone that we are sure will be very grateful.

Please note the following:

  • Any organisation can apply for this funding, regardless of size.
  • The job placements created with Kickstart funding must be new jobs.

They must not:

  1. Replace existing or planned vacancies.
  2. Cause existing employees or contractors to lose or reduce their employment.

The roles you are applying for must be:

  1. 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.