The government kickstart scheme is now live for employers

The Government has introduced a new Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality 6-month work placements aimed at those aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long term unemployment.

If you are creating less than 30 job placements you must partner with a representative. Varsity Careers Hub is a representative and we work with all employers.

There are two key ways that you can claim the grant:

Apply through VCH here if you are hiring less than 30 kickstarters;

If you are placing more than thirty hires you can apply directly to the government here.

What do you get when you claim the grant?

Funding available for each job 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 and a further £1500 grant.

Who is eligible to apply for the grant?

Any organisation, regardless of size, can apply for funding.

The job placements created with Kickstart funding must be new jobs. They must not:

replace existing or planned vacancies;

cause existing employees or contractors to lose or reduce their employment.

Employer’s must detail how they will provide the participants with:

support to look for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals;

support with CV and interview preparations;

supporting the participant with basic skills, such as attendance, timekeeping and teamwork.

How can we help?

We handle the administrative process associated with the application. Additionally, we can also provide support with fulfilling the employer’s grant obligations by provide training and support for all candidates throughout their placement including an initial 5 day training course across a number of different competencies such as digital marketing, social media marketing, administration, and secretarial roles.

Apply for a grant through VCH here, we'll get back to you to schedule in a quick time to call to find out more about the role before submitting your application.