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Helping to Kickstart new job opportunities

Helping to Kickstart new job opportunities

We're creating seven new job opportunities, with more to follow, as part of the government’s Kickstart scheme for young people at risk of long-term unemployment.

The six-month paid job placements cover a range of roles including a project assistant, repairs contact coordinator, and social media marketing and administration positions within Bolton at Home urban care and neighbourhood (UCAN) teams. These four roles are open for applications.

We'll advertise a further three roles - covering children and youth support work, a community health and wellbeing coach, and an administration assistant – once lockdown restrictions have been eased. We hope to create more placements over the coming months, both with us and through our organisational partners.

The government unveiled the Kickstart scheme in September 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It provides employers with funding to create the job placements for 16 to 24-year-olds, who are receiving Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment.

If you’re interested in applying please contact Bolton’s Jobcentres, which are responsible for recruiting applicants for the Kickstart placements. 

Noel Sharpe, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer of Bolton at Home, said: “Recent events have undoubtedly made it harder for young people to gain employment and training, so we’re pleased to be able to create these paid job placements under the Kickstart scheme. These opportunities will allow the successful applicants to earn a wage and gain vital experiences and skills to support their future employment. 

“We hope to be able to secure more Kickstart funding to create further job placements, but the programme is just one aspect of the support available. We have a range of other employment and enterprise support that can help people towards a brighter future and we always urge people to contact us to see what support is available to them.”

We submitted our bid for the Kickstart scheme in co-ordination with One Manchester and other Greater Manchester housing providers who are part of the Athena Partnership. Athena brings together housing organisations to help reduce poverty and inequality by providing training, employment, and other initiatives across the region. 

The Kickstart scheme provides funding for employers to offer job placements covering 100 per cent 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 six months. However, as a real Living Wage employer, we've committed to paying participants the real Living Wage of £9.50 per hour.

You can get details about the roles on our website here: www.boltonathome.org.uk/kickstart.