What is Kickstart?

The Kickstart Scheme makes up part of the Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs’ skills and employment programmes, which also include Apprenticeships, T Levels and Traineeships.

The Kickstart Scheme offers six-month jobs for young people aged 16 to 24 years old who are currently claiming Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment. Not only will you have a young person working for you, funded by the Government, you will also be supporting them to develop transferable skills that are aimed at increasing their chances of sustained employment.

Thousands of employers like you, across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, have already applied for funding, which covers:

• 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months
• associated employer National Insurance contributions
• minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions
• a grant of £1,500 per job to cover setup costs and employability support