Employment Minister visits Anfield to meet Kickstart recruits
The Minister for Employment, MP Mims Davies, paid a visit to Anfield Stadium to meet with a group of young people who are part of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme.
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment by giving them the skills and experience needed to thrive in work.
Nine Kickstart recruits, who are the first to be hired by LFC Foundation and partner organisations Liverpool Football Club and regeneration group Regenda under the Kickstart Scheme, met with the Minister at one of their weekly training sessions.
The young people who are working across various areas of the organisations including human resources, communications, and finance as part of their 25 hours of paid employment, will also all achieve a level two qualification paid for at the end of their six-month work placement.
The LFC Foundation is providing employability training and resources for the new Kickstart recruits via their Sports Works programme, which is delivered in partnership with Liverpool Football Club, The Regenda Group and training provider, The Learning Foundry, and funded by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association Community Fund (PLPFA.)
Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “It’s fantastic to see young people begin their Kickstart journey with Liverpool FC, working for one of the most iconic clubs in world football and in a range of exciting roles from HR to finance.
“Our Plan for Jobs is creating fresh opportunities, boosting job prospects and supporting employers to recruit as we push to build back better and level up across the whole of the UK.”
Matt Parish, CEO of LFC Foundation, added: “It’s fantastic to be able to offer a wealth of opportunities for local young people to get their foot in the door and gain valuable work experience to prepare them for the world of work. We currently have nine Kickstart recruits with us, seven based at the Foundation and LFC and two at The Regenda Group. This will increase to 20 recruits for the next cohort that is due to start in August.
“Working alongside the Club, The Regenda Group and The Learning Foundry enables us to provide a unique package of support and training alongside their paid employment to ensure all recruits reach their full potential.”
So far over 20,000 young people across the country have started on scheme, averaging around 400 starting jobs every day for the last month. Recent data also shows 3,100 job starts in the North West – the highest number outside of London and the South with 16,000 jobs advertised through the scheme in the region.
Joanne Abraham, Managing Director of The Learning Foundry, said: “The Kickstart scheme has brought much-needed opportunities to young people in our local area, and we are committed to helping groups that have been most economically impacted by the pandemic realise their full potential. Our partnership with The Regenda Group and LFC Foundation has been a valuable tool in preparing young people to start their careers. This is a fantastic example of global brands and local organisations coming together to make a difference to people’s lives – not only to provide career pathways, but to help local businesses to build back better too”.