Webinar Recap: All You Need to Know About the Kickstart Scheme

Watch our webinar with Marc Crothall, CEO of The Scottish Tourism Alliance, and the Springboard team to learn all you need to know about joining the Government-backed Kickstart Scheme. Harri in association with UK Hospitality and the Scottish Tourism Alliance is launching the first Kickstart webinar with our partner, Springboard who is a Government approved Gateway Employer, helping employers get a Kickstart scheme grant; whether you have 30 roles or less to recruit for. The webinar will provide you with all the information you need to join the Government Kickstart scheme which is helping support the recovery of the UK’s economy. The session will be informative and will address the following topics with an opportunity to ask questions:
 
  • How does Kickstart help the hospitality, retail, and tourism sectors?
  • What are the benefits of the Kickstart scheme to businesses and to young people?
  • How does the Kickstart application process work?
  • How does the payroll process work and how is the grant distributed?
  • How will the training work?

Marc Crothall

The Scottish Tourism Alliance

David Sheen

UK Hospitality

Why now?

At it’s 2019 peak UK Hospitality employed 3.2 million people, now with the advent of the pandemic we could be seeing a potential 1.2 million job losses (UK Hospitality).

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has recognised that, “We know young people have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic and unemployment can have long standing implications for their future jobs and wages.” (LinkedIn, Nov 10th 2020).

There has been a 42% increase in the unemployment rate and a 120% increase for those going onto unemployment benefits/universal credit for 16-24-year-olds, from Dec 19 to Sep 20 (House of Commons Library, Nov 10th 2020).

Hospitality, Leisure & Tourism has helped before (employing 1 in 6 after the 2008 market crash, says UK Hospitality) and can again by crafting partnerships with young people to show off the range of skills that can be grown in these industries.

Kickstart presents an opportunity for businesses to invest in their future, by bringing their current/future consumers inside the industry to create a valuable pipeline of talent (Scottish
 Tourism Alliance).

Kelly Johnstone

Springboard

Kickstart Key Facts

  • This is a grant scheme provided by the UK Government to approved employers, giving 16-24-year-olds with risk of long term unemployment quality work experience.
  • Any employer can apply to be part of the scheme and recruit, onboard, train and pay young people for a 6 month placement.
  • Additionally, employers have £1500 to spend on required employability & basic work skills training, as well as travel/uniform costs etc.
  • Employers are provided with a fund covering 25 hours per week at national minimum wage depending on the age of the participant along with associated National Insurance contribution and the employer’s minimum automatic enrolment contributions.  
  • Young people are identified and referred/encouraged to apply for approved placements by Job Coaches (from JobCentres), and are then recruited, onboarded, paid and trained by the approved employer.

Tom Howes

Harri

Why should you apply?

  • Gain brand visibility by partnering with young people, who are at the highest risk of long term unemployment, to promote your business and the industry.
  • Gain added resources to craft your business’s future with roles you didn’t know you needed pre-pandemic.
  • Approved applications are valid for young people starting before December 2021, by applying now you can have an approved source of hungry applicants ready for when you re-open or trade picks up.
  • Create a pipeline of experienced talent for apprenticeships or permanent roles once their placement is finished, reducing turnover & increasing internal promotions.

Bhavna Patel

Springboard

Applying for a Grant

  • Springboard, in partnership with Hospitality Unite, is an approved and acting Gateway Employer who can help with this and more.
  • To apply you’ll need information on your business, kickstart role descriptions, detailed rationale behind why these roles are ‘new’, detailed information on training provided (inc. CV/interview skills, career advice, goal setting etc), your recruitment process and more.
  • A gateway employer acts on behalf of any organisation no matter the size to help you define and compile all the relevant information for successful application to the Kickstart Scheme. We assist you with extensive paperwork and any other support you may require to complete all compulsory training.  
  • We will share our expertise to help you onboard and train young people employed through the scheme and provide you with variety of employability skills and additional development options.
  • From industry feedback we know some hospitality employers have been rejected without feedback, and so working with an experienced gateway employer will help navigate through all criterias required and save you time as well as allowing you to focus on growing your business. 

“This is a really positive way of promoting the Government’s Kickstart programme, set up to assist sectors like ours. We know from experience that hospitality benefits hugely from the enthusiasm, talents and innovation of young people in its workforce.”

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive for UK Hospitality

Apply To The Kickstart Programme

Apply