Bucks Council join Kick Start scheme with 35 roles for young people
Young people aged 16-24 can apply through the job centre plus
Buckinghamshire Council is set to hire 35 young residents as part of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme.
The scheme provides young people (aged 16 to 24 years) claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment with valuable work experience and an opportunity to develop their workplace skills.
Kickstart roles at the Council will include Project Support Administrator, Library Services Assistant, Environmental Health Support Officer, ICT Support Assistant and HR Service Desk Advisor.
All of the roles will be for a minimum of 25 hours per week, and participants will be employed by Buckinghamshire Council on a six-month fixed term contract. The government will fund the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, depending on the age of the Kickstart participant.
As well as participants benefiting from the Council’s standard induction programme, Buckinghamshire Adult Learning team will also deliver a bespoke induction to the Kickstart employees. This will cover topics such as:
• Work readiness skills
• Self-motivation
• Managing workload and asking for help
• Personal goal setting
• Stress management and wellbeing
Each Kickstart employee will be allocated a buddy and/or mentor. The buddy/mentor will initiate one-to-one discussions to help the Kickstart employee understand the different skills and career pathways available to them and to encourage them to start thinking about their next destination if they aren't already.
Anita Cranmer, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services, said:
“I’m excited that we’re able to help young people affected by the economic impacts of Covid-19 through the creation of high-quality work placements.
"Young people have lost so much this last year, so many will be without careers advice, support or information people before them had.
"In addition, I’m pleased that many of our teams will be able to benefit from additional resources and fresh ideas.
"The roles will also enable teams to see whether a young person is a good fit for a possible apprenticeship or entry level role after their placement.”
Interested candidates can apply for a Kickstart placement through an initial referral from the local Jobcentre Plus, then by completing Buckinghamshire Council’s online application form.