Supporting people to return to education training or employment
Kickstart
Suffolk councils, working with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, formed Suffolk Gateway Partnership to deliver this national programme, designed to boost opportunities for young people in the workplace.
Developed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide six month employment placements for 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit, Kickstart assists them in gaining the skills and experience they need to succeed in the future. The scheme provides funding to cover the wages of each placement for 25 hours per week, as well as extra funding to help support the development of the young person.
In Suffolk, we have seen a fantastic response from employers and our young people, with over 700 placements being made available since the launch of the programme. Our successful Kickstarters have impresses our businesses, with some 75% of those employers retaining their Kickstarter and offering them a permanent role at the end of their six month placement.
The Kickstart scheme has now closed to applications, however there are a range of further employment and training schemes available in Suffolk to support both your existing workforce and new recruits, including apprenticeships, training programmes and staff development (for example workplace support for mental health). For more information please contactskills@suffolk.gov.uk.
Work Well Suffolk
Work Well Suffolk is a three-year project (2020-2022) being managed by Suffolk County Council. Its aim is to help more than 2,000 people into employment by tackling barriers to work that they may face.
The One Step Closer team offer young people aged over 16 an opportunity to discuss how to help you reach your goals and give you skills and advice to make it happen. They can help with:
apprenticeships
traineeships - Pathways into apprenticeships
qualifications and courses - full time and part time options
job applications and interview skills
CVs, LinkedIn and maximising social media to apply for jobs
A service based in Haverhill, providing local support to 13-24-year-olds to encourage individuals to reach their full potential. The service is made up of different projects that meet both supportive needs and provide learning opportunities, as well as supporting individuals in taking their next steps. Work includes:
assisting young people in creating quality CVs; helping them to find and apply for suitable vacancies
advising young people and local employers with apprenticeships; providing a matching service to link them
coordinating training provisions to increase local opportunities
encouraging work experience and volunteering opportunities, helping young people to arrange this, and
supporting young people, who aren’t quite ready, with their wellbeing in award-winning support groups.
If you are looking for a new job or thinking about making a change, answer a few short questions to get personalised support, tips and advice. Take the first step towards your next opportunity with 'JobHelp' for you.
There are thousands of temporary jobs available, offering opportunities for those looking for work to gain experience and build skills. A temporary role can also help people get the experience they need when applying for future roles.
