Do you have a business and need more staff? You can create a new starter role and employ a young person from Ealing through the Kickstart scheme. There won’t be any cost for your business, since the government is covering their wage for up to 25 hours a week, alongside relevant National Insurance contributions, in the form of a grant.

Hear from an employer

We had a chat with Auberon Bayley from Cultivate London, who is telling us about his experience of having six young people, as part of the Kickstart scheme.

Auberon says: “During the furlough process I came across information about the proposed Kickstart scheme on the gov.uk website. I thought it might be something we can get involved with and benefit from as we were exploring all avenues to support the business at the time.

I contacted a long-standing contact we had at Ealing Council and asked if we can be given information and I was referred to a webinar with other businesses.”

He adds: “The people we recruited as part of the scheme were really good. We benefited from having the extra energy and enthusiasm. They didn’t need to much of an induction or time to get used to what we were doing.

“Now we have a real good range of people. We have three girls and three guys. Some of them have done some quite high-level work within the industry. One of them is a qualified tree surgeon. Some of them have done some basic courses while some of them have never been in a garden.”

Watch the video above to find out more.

About the Kickstart scheme

A government-funded scheme, Kickstart gives young unemployed people aged 16 to 24 on Universal Credit the chance to take the first step towards building a career. A Kickstart placement lasts for six months. Employers from all sizes and industries can apply. The government will be covering:

• 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week for each young person
• associated employer National Insurance contributions
• employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.

In addition, businesses might receive a grant of up to £1,500 per job placement for setup costs, depending on the way of application.

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for decent living incomes comments: “The pandemic is expected to have long-term devastating effects on both residents and businesses in Ealing. We know they will need ongoing support to recover and thrive.

“Kickstart is a great programme for businesses to grow their workforce while nurturing talent. I’d encourage local employers to contact our Kickstart team and see if they can benefit from the scheme.”

About Cultivate

By sharing their horticulture and environmental knowledge, Cultivate London encourages and helps local communities to better connect with their green spaces.

Their training provides job ready skills which improve employment opportunities. Follow Cultivate on Instagram or Twitter.

How can businesses apply?

Employers can apply on the Gov.uk website themselves or get help from a Kickstart gateway organisation, like Ealing Council. We can help you to set up Kickstart placements and make applications to the DWP on your behalf. For more information, please email us on kickstart@ealing.gov.uk or call us on 020 8825 6234.

Good jobs for Ealing

Ealing’s Plan for Good Jobs is the council’s action plan that sets out the short-term actions that are needed to help Ealing’s economy recover from the pandemic. The plan sets out a number of key priorities for the council and its partners including helping residents into gainful employment by making it easier for them to find jobs, retrain and develop new skills for growth sector employment. Focus will also be on protecting and nurturing existing businesses and encouraging local employers to work with the council to create good jobs.

Ealing’s Plan for Good Jobs is the council’s commitment to help the borough get back on its feet and create a sustainable economy.