New employment opportunities are now available through Birmingham Metropolitan College. Apprenticeships in Customer Service roles include seven Key Account Advisor vacancies with Curdworth based XDP Limited.
Eligible customers should be unemployed and in receipt of Universal Credit, Job Seekers’ Allowance or Employment & Support Allowance.
Candidates must be aged 19 or over and have lived in the UK for the last three years.
For details and an application form please call The Apprenticeship Recruitment Team at Birmingham Metropolitan College on 0121 362 1121.
The North Birmingham Economic Recovery Taskforce is shining a spotlight on Kickstart
This Government scheme enables employers to access funding in order to create six-month job placements. These placements are for young people (16-24-year-olds) who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment..
Each placement will pay 100% of the National Minimum Wage (relative to the age of the individual) for 25 hours a week.
On completion of their Kickstart work placement, candidates should be able to move into sustained employment.
For an example of the type of opportunities available through NBER partners, click HERE.
For Kickstart opportunities with Birmingham City Council click HERE.
To browse the latest Kickstart opportunities across Birmingham and the region please click the link below:
Why Kickstart is Good Business Sense - A Message From The Department for Work and Pensions
Plenty of businesses have already taken up this scheme and created placements for young people, helping to form a skilled and experienced workforce in multiple industries.
When a young person is taken on through Kickstart, not only does it benefit the individual but it also has a positive impact on the organisation. These vacancies help to create additional capacity while providing young people with new and different perspectives on work, helping businesses to innovate and reach new customers or access new revenue streams.
For the young person, Kickstart offers a route into sustainable, long-term employment through practical on-the-job learning. Placements also help young people to learn the skills they need in order to excel in their chosen career path.
For the latest Kickstart opportunities in your area and a list of employers and organisations who are supporting the scheme, click HERE
Francesca’s Career Kickstart
The Government launched its Kickstart scheme to support unemployed 16-24-year-olds into work.
Under Kickstart, funding is made available to organisations to create six-month job placements, paying candidates for up to 25-hours of work per week, at minimum wage.
Witton Lodge Community Association is working as an intermediary with the Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest provider of affordable housing, to support the Kickstart Scheme.
The Association has now recruited two young people under the scheme, to help them build their skills in the workplace, gain invaluable experience and improve their chances of finding long-term employment.
Frankie Strothers, 22, from Sutton Coldfield graduated from Loughborough University and arrived at Witton Lodge seeking the kind of support and training which would help her develop the basic work-related skills she will need to access wider employment opportunities in the future.
Here, she explains how and why she chose Kickstart.
A: I was initially introduced to the Kickstart scheme through the Job Centre. The scheme looked like a good opportunity to gain some more work experience after university as well as receive employment support. There were lots of different roles available on the scheme across a range of companies, I was able to look through the role descriptions and choose which ones I liked best to then apply to.
A: I saw the advertisement for Witton Lodge and liked the look of the role and the company. The Kickstart role offered variety and the chance to work across different projects at the company. The organisation itself appealed to me due to the nature of the work it does. I had previously undertaken work experience at Compass Support and found it enjoyable and interesting. I therefore felt that Witton Lodge would be a great fit for me too. I like the variety of services Witton Lodge offers and the opportunity to help the local community.
A: Beyond kickstart, I would like to secure a graduate scheme at a large company. In the future, I would like to secure a role in buying or project management.
A: Yes, I would recommend the programme to others. The programme is a great opportunity to gain more work experience to put on your CV. Whilst on the scheme, I will also be offered employment support and have an action plan made for my time on the scheme, to ensure I make the most out of it.
