Businesses who think they cannot take advantage of the government’s new £2 billion Kickstart training scheme can still take part through a gateway body, says Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation.

The Government Kickstart Scheme will provide funding to employers to create job placements for 16-24 year olds. The scheme will create new six-month placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

A business can only sign up to the Kickstart scheme if they have a minimum of 30 job placements to offer – however approved gateway organisations, such as Make UK, can apply on the behalf of a business if they require less than 30 placements.

Stephen Mitchell, Director of Apprentices and Technical Training at Make UK’s Technology Hub in Aston, Birmingham, said: “We know manufacturing, and understand that right now it may be difficult for employers to take on an apprentice. But these fully-funded work placements provide manufacturing extra support that they may currently need and a young person a chance to develop skills and experience they need to find work after completing the scheme.

“Working with a gateway organisation such as Make UK has multiple benefits – you don’t need to have 30 placements, and we can make the process a lot easier and do much of the groundwork, including supporting you through the selection process, providing training and working with the young person to help them into a job or apprenticeship after the placement. We understand the requirements of manufacturing and how to get the best out of a young person.”

The government will fully fund each ‘Kickstart’ job, paying 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week. Once a job placement is created, it can be taken up by a second person once the first successful applicant has completed their six-month term.

For more information on the Kickstart program, call Make UK on 0121 344 7903 or email [email protected]