Forth Valley College has successfully secured the services of eight young work placements through the new UK wide Kickstart Scheme.
The initiative is a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality 6-month job placements for young people, and was launched in the summer of 2020 as part of the Plan for Jobs.
The successful applicants, who must be referred to FVC via their Jobcentre Work Coach, will work in the areas of Business Development, Learning and Quality, Comms and Marketing and Human Resources. Funding available for each job placement will cover the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. However Forth Valley College is committed to paying the Scottish Living Wage to all job placements.
There will also be funding available to support young people to develop new skills and to help them move into sustained employment after they have completed their Kickstart funded job.
Through the scheme, companies and organisations throughout the UK be able to access a large pool of young people with potential, ready for an opportunity. Initially the scheme will prioritise young people aged between 16 and 24 who are ready for an opportunity and will be supported by their Jobcentre Plus work coach to enrol in the scheme.
Katie Palmer, Kickstart District Marketing Manager, Department for Work and Pensions, Work and Health Services, said: “It’s great to see more and more employers in Scotland and Forth Valley signing up to Kickstart. Across our Forth Valley job centres we’re working closely with more than 1,700 young people who are looking for work. Giving these youngsters the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and transferrable skills through Kickstart is so important.”
Ralph Burns Head of Human Resources at Forth Valley College, said: “The Kickstart Scheme is an ideal fit for Forth Valley College to get involved with, as we have a wide range of departments looking for individuals with an even wider range of skills and attributes to support our staff as they strive to make learning work for our local communities on a day to day basis. I would like to thank Caroline Hogg – FVC’s Client Manager in the Business Development Department – and her team for their all their work on developing the College’s link with the Kickstart Scheme.
“It really is a real win, win situation as the successful applicants will receive the best training in their chosen area and we will benefit from eager and enthusiastic trainees looking to progress in their careers.”
Dr Ken Thomson, Principal of FVC, said: “This is a great opportunity for a young person to gain valuable work experience and also gain an additional resource for teams and departments around the College. We are delighted to support this scheme and look forward to appointing our eager Kickstart staff in the weeks to come.”
Anyone interested in applying for the Kickstart Scheme must be referred by their Jobcentre Plus work coach. For more information on the Kickstart Scheme visit: Kickstart Scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)