What We Do

The Kickstart Scheme

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. By working with NTCA as a Kickstart Gateway, you will receive:

• 6 months’ salary paid at 25 hours per week at National Minimum Wage.
• Employer pensions and national insurance contributions
• £1500 to contribute to the costs associated with establishing the role and to provide training and employability support throughout the employment.
• Expert employability support from Newcastle Futures, our commissioned delivery partner at no extra cost.

Being a part of the Kickstart Scheme will allow your business access to a huge number of young people who are bursting with potential and eager to begin their career. Full details of the Kickstart Programme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme

Our Ambition for Kickstart

Kickstart is a key aspect of our plans for inclusive economic recovery in the North of Tyne. We believe Kickstart can enable employers to unlock growth potential, whilst providing valuable opportunities for young people to access good quality work in line with the expectations of the Good Work Pledge.

As a Kickstart Gateway, NTCA are acting on behalf of businesses operating in the North of Tyne area, helping them to navigate and access the Kickstart Scheme and maximising the impact for their organisation and for young people.

As mentioned above, we have commissioned Newcastle Futures to provide additional, expert support for you and your Kickstart employee. This support is included as part of our enhanced Kickstart Offer and comes at no extra cost to you.

To summarise what Newcastle Futures provides:

• Expert employability support from 2 weeks pre-placement to 2 weeks post-placement.
• Connection with both employer and employee to ensure both are getting the maximum out of the scheme & it is a useful, rewarding experience.
• Troubleshooting any issues that may arise with both parties to avoid premature placement ends.

Our Kickstart vacancies can be found via this link.

For more information about eligibility, processes and general queries, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

The employer applications to the Kickstart scheme have now closed.