Major milestone for Wrekin’s Kickstart programme
The Wrekin Housing Group has passed a major milestone in its delivery of the Government’s Kickstart campaign, with the housing provider having given a career boost to 80 young people.
The Kickstart Scheme is a government initiative aimed at combatting long-term unemployment for young people, a section of society hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides funding to create six-month job placements for 16 to 24-year olds on Universal Credit.
The placements have seen young people take up roles across Wrekin’s areas of work – including repairs and maintenance, customer services, catering, grounds maintenance and admin. During their placements, all Kickstarters have had access to employability support, ensuring they have the best chance of securing employment in the future.
And the scheme’s success has been evident at Wrekin, with 34 people having secured permanent employment after completing their placement.
One such success story is 23-year old Patrick Davies, who now has a permanent, full time role as a Finance Assistant, after completing his six-month Kickstart with Wrekin’s Money Matters team.
Patrick said: “It’s been a fantastic experience. The support I’ve had off everyone has been brilliant and has really helped me grow during my time here with Wrekin.
“I’ve grown not only professionally, but from a personal point of view as well. Before I started my Kickstart placement I was battling with my mental health, I was homeless and I didn’t have the best upbringing. Wrekin have really helped me. I’m making a difference to people’s lives on a daily basis and it’s really rewarding.”
Sam Hine, Social Value and Inclusion Manager at The Wrekin Housing Group said: “We are proud to have placed 80 people into roles across the business since March 2021. It’s been a life-changing experience for many young people like Patrick.
"It’s been a privilege to provide quality opportunities which enable young people to access skills and training, helping them to secure sustainable employment. The hard work and dedication of many of our Kickstarters has been clear to see.
"We’re incredibly pleased that the majority of those completing their placements have gone on to secure employment, either within The Wrekin Housing Group or beyond. We wish each of them the very best of luck with their future careers.”
