Opinion

First step on the ladder

Viewpoint
The Kickstart scheme gives young unemployed people a chance to experience working in childcare, and has value for providers as well, says
Deborah Callway

Having owned a nursery several years ago, I wanted to share the benefits to business of the Government-funded nationwide Kickstart scheme.

Launched last year, it enables employers to give an unemployed young person on Universal Credit a six-month paid job placement fully funded by the scheme, plus an additional £1,500 for onboarding.

There are many young people looking for a chance to gain valuable experience working in the childcare sector. They want to achieve new qualifications, develop transferable skills, boost their confidence and be in a better position to gain full time employment. Businesses can also benefit by taking on young people with new ideas, energy and enthusiasm. There is no commitment beyond the six months.

Many childcare settings are already participating in the scheme and I am receiving some excellent feedback. One provider reported how easy the online application process was, with approval in a couple of weeks. It said the Department for Work and Pensions provided strong support for the recruitment process, resulting in four young people quickly being settled in.

While for this particular setting there were some initial concerns from staff about the burden of additional support for each Kickstarter, the buddy/mentoring system proved effective, and over time the young people have proved a great support to existing staff.

For this provider the additional funding has paid for PPE, training and employability support, which means there has been no cost to the business. It has reportedly been a very rewarding experience for the setting as a whole – seeing young people get the opportunity they wanted but thought was out of reach. The provider says it would encourage others to take part.

Another nursery in Kent has introduced Kickstart roles covering a variety of areas, including social media and administration as well as childcare. It has found there are lots of ways to support young people in childcare settings.

The scheme is due to end on 31 December, so applications will need to be made by the middle of October to ensure the six-month placement begins before the end of the year.

  • The scheme can be joined directly at www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme or through a gateway provider at https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/find-a-kickstart-gateway
  • More information: national.kickstart@dwp.gov.uk.