Kickstart Partnership Creates Over 100 New Work Opportunities for Local Young People

The Kickstart partnership between Lancaster & Morecambe College, Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce, Morecambe BID and Lancaster BID has got off to a successful start, with 73 new work placement opportunities already created across the district. 

The Kickstart Scheme has been established to support the on-going development of our local economy through the generation of high-quality placement opportunities for young people. Around 50 local businesses have already committed to the scheme, creating 6-month job placements for young people (16-24) who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The placements support participants to develop key employability skills and experience, which will then enable them to progress onto Apprenticeships and paid employment. 

Charlotte Rawes Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement commented on the scheme and partnership;

We are thrilled at the response from local businesses to the Kickstart Scheme, which supports our local economy and the development of opportunities for young people within our district.   The College’s excellent reputation and wide-ranging experience in supporting young people through our well-established traineeships & apprenticeships complements the ethos of the Kickstart Scheme and means we are well-placed to deliver high-quality placements.  

Our highly-skilled Employer Engagement Team will be able to provide effective advice and guidance to local employers to ensure they access the most appropriate scheme for their business. Working in partnership with the Lancaster District Chamber of Commerce and the BID teams from both Lancaster & Morecambe, will be crucial to the success of the scheme for our local district.

The placements currently on offer cover a wide range of job roles and sectors, including marketing, business administration, catering & hospitality, construction, accountancy and youth work. A further 33 placements are in the pipeline and will be submitted in the coming weeks, bringing the total on offer to over 100 new opportunities. 

Vicky Lofthouse, Chief Executive Officer from Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce, stated;

The team at Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to be working with Lancaster and Morecambe College as recognised intermediaries to coordinate business interest in the Kickstart initiative.  Businesses of all sizes looking to create quality jobs for young people can apply to create new 6-month job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

The pandemic has caused disruption to many businesses and individuals, who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without meaningful employment.  If your organisation would benefit from hiring new talent, with financial support from the Government, then please get in touch.

Learn more about the Kickstart Scheme