The Kickstart Programme is a Government initiative that provides funding to employers to create 6-month job placements for 16-24-year olds on Universal Credit and at risk of long- term unemployment.
The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) are acting as a Gateway on behalf of businesses and charities operating in the North of Tyne. In assuming this role, we will help employers secure a Kickstart Scheme grant and via our delivery partner provide additional support for you and your Kickstart employee. NTCA’s ambition for Kickstart is to work with employers to create good quality placements in line with the expectations of the NTCA Good Work Pledge. Ensuring that both the young person and the employer gain a positive experience from Kickstart is the core objective of our approach.
As a Kickstart Gateway we will work with you to:
- gather information about the role you would like to offer
- use this information to submit an online application on your behalf to DWP
- pass on the Kickstart funding to you
Councillor Karen Kilgour, Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and Skills said: “The Kickstart Scheme is a fantastic opportunity for employers to bring on board young people at risk of long-term unemployment who are full of potential and eager to begin their career. The scheme provides employers with funding to grow their business whilst offering valuable opportunities to local young people. This supports our strategic skills plan ambitions, as well as building the high skill, high wage, low carbon economy our region needs.”
As part of our commitment to our role as Kickstart Gateway we are continuing to make sure, that we are offering as much value as possible to everyone involved in the scheme. Therefore, as part of our offer, we have contracted Newcastle Futures as a delivery partner to provide additional support for you and your Kickstart employee.
Newcastle Futures will support you and your employee throughout the Kickstart journey, providing an employability service at no extra cost. Their work will begin as soon as you make your decision to employ your Kickstart employee, continue throughout the placement at a frequency that works both parties, and end with two weeks of support after placement end. The team will connect with your employee and understand their needs, to ensure their placement is a useful, rewarding experience, as well as connecting with the employer and working to prepare clients for their journey into work.
Alongside this Newcastle Futures maybe aware of other services that might be helpful to you when you are agreeing the training plan for your Kickstart employee, such as training providers in various sectors or wider support services. Newcastle Futures’ experienced service will bring added value on top of the governments core Kickstart offer, meaning everyone involved in the scheme will benefit as much as possible.
The employer applications to the Kickstart scheme have now closed. Read more Kickstart here www.northoftyne-ca.gov.uk/projects/kickstart-programme/
If you have questions, please get in contact with us by email at Kickstartinfo@northoftyneca.gov.uk