Centric HR have been appointed as a ‘Gateway Provider’ on the government Kickstart website to help employers based anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales. We will manage, through robust financial and governance processes, the process from the starting point of application through to funding and wrap around care for the kickstarter. We have compiled a list of questions and answers below to advise and assist in the correct procedure.

The government introduced the 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 16-24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long-term unemployment.

The new scheme will see hundreds of thousands of state-funded jobs created for 16-to-24-year-olds who are currently claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. Those who sign up can start in the autumn and there is no cap on the number of people who can sign up to the scheme.

KickStart FAQs

Q: What is the Scheme?

• Employers can use the Kickstart Scheme to create new six-month job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. It is NOT an apprenticeship.
• The job placements will support the participants to gain the experience they need to find work after completing the scheme.
• Funding is available for 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions.

Q: Is Kickstart available throughout the UK?

Yes, the government are committed to levelling up opportunities across the country which is why we encourage businesses from England, Wales and Scotland to bid for funding.

Q: Who can apply?

• Any business, regardless of size, can bid for funding.
• The job placements created with Kickstart funding must be new jobs and must not replace existing or planned vacancies.
• The roles must be a minimum of 25 hours per week, for six months and paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group.

Q: How long will applications be open for?

The scheme will remain open for new Kickstarters to start their placement up until December 2021.

Q: How do businesses apply?

If a business is recruiting more than 30 people as part of the Kickstart Scheme they can submit a bid directly online through the main Kickstart page.

If a business is looking to recruit fewer than 30 people, they can still apply for funding but must partner with an organisation in order to create a minimum of 30 jobs before applying. Centric HRis an appointed Gateway Provider to enable and support SMEs to access the funding, so please contact us here to apply.

Q: What is Centric HR’s role as a partner?

• Centric HR intends to provide wrap around care to both the employer and the Kickstarter, to ensure that Kickstarters are in a much stronger starting point to pursue their job goals.
• This wrap around care for Kickstarters will include, managing expectations in a working environment, CV writing, completing job applications, interview technique, preparation and practice to develop their skills.
• The wrap around care for employers will include, managing young people in the workplace, basic contracts, on-boarding and constructive behavioural management tools.
• Centric HR will manage, through robust financial and governance processes, the application process to funding.
• Centric HR will also be the financial intermediary to ensure that employers receive the National Minimum salaries that they have paid out to Kickstarters.

Q: What support will businesses get?

• Companies that are successful in securing funding will receive 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions.
• £1500 per person will be available to cover set up costs and the wrap around care.

Q: When will the employer receive the funding?

Employers will not receive the funding upfront; funding will be coordinated by the intermediary and sent on to employers in arrears so they will need to manage their cashflow efficiently and effectively.

Q: Which young people are eligible to enrol onto the scheme?

The young person must be aged between 16 and 24 and on Universal Credit.

 Q: How do young people get involved?

Young people will be enrolled on the scheme by their job centre Work Coach.

Q: Isn’t this just the future jobs fund?

No, this is the biggest scheme of its kind that also involves the private sector to make sure we can get the high quality placements we need.

Q: When are placements likely to start?

It is expected that young people will take up positions on the scheme this Autumn.

Q: Why is this only for young people on benefits? Is that fair?

• This is targeted support aimed at young people who are at greatest risk of being unemployed.
• The scheme wouldn’t be right for all young people which is why we’ve also invested in traineeships and apprenticeships that may be a better fit for others.

Q: Will an intermediary be engaged in monitoring the Kickstarters?

• We want to ensure young people enter into high quality roles that offer on the job training and progression so they can develop the right skills to thrive in work.
• The Intermediary will provide the  wrap around care to help you help you to ensure that young people are able to make the most of this experience to help them get sustained employment in the future.

Q: What will happen to young people after the six months is up?

• At the end of six months, these young people will be in a better position to get their next job or be offered their position permanently.
• They’ll have recent experience for their CV and new skills to show off in applications and at interview.
• All that gives them a much stronger starting point to pursue their job goals.

Q: Do Employers have to offer a job at the end of the work placement?

• If employers can offer a permanent role that that is great.
• However if businesses are not in a position, they have still assisted the young person to become more employable.
• Businesses can then opt to take another Kickstarter on another work placement.

Q: Can graduates apply?

Being a graduate doesn’t rule you out from the scheme – job centre Work Coaches will make sure that every young person who can benefit from a placement gets that chance and the graduate should speak to the job centre directly to assess their eligibility.

Q: How many placements will Kickstart offer?

We want to help as many young people as possible which is why it’s so important that as many employers as possible get involved in the scheme and help us achieve that ambition for the next generation.

Q: Can businesses with recent redundancies be involved?

We want as many employers as possible to submit a bid to us but it has to be really clear that these are new roles that don’t replace staff recently made redundant.

Q: Will young people be sanctioned if they don’t take up the placement they’re offered?

No.

Q: What about if they voluntarily leave the placement because they don’t think they’re
benefiting?

If a young person wants to leave their placement, they should discuss this with their Work Coach and they won’t be sanctioned if there’s a good reason for leaving their placement early.

You can contact Centric HR on enquiries@centrichr.co.uk or ring 0333 366 0567 for further advice and guidance on the Kickstart Scheme.