PETA: ready to kickstart careers

Since announcing their involvement in the government’s new Kickstart Scheme in October, PETA has made great progress in readying themselves for launch.

PETA initiated a marketing campaign six weeks ago to raise awareness of the scheme locally and generate interest amongst local SMEs, for which this initiative is ideal.

Since then, PETA has generated around 100 vacancies, working in partnership with a range of employers. Roles will be available across a wide range of sectors and disciplines, with roles in IT, food manufacturing, security, care, sales and engineering secured so far.

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding for employers to create new 6-month job placements for young people (aged 16 – 24) who are currently at risk of long-term unemployment. Employers will receive this funding to cover:

• 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours per week
• The associated employer National Insurance Contributions
• Employer minimum Automatic Enrolment contributions
• Up to £1,500 per job placement for setup costs, support and training

Working alongside Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, PETA will be offering dedicated training courses to the scheme participants. These training courses are designed to upskill job placement employees with key functional skills and specialist knowledge to prepare them for the world of work.

Although the majority of the roles will be entry-level, the training and experience will give participants the chance to grow their knowledge and skills, building a great foundation for their future career. At the end of the six months, placement employees may also be given the opportunity to move onto a full apprenticeship programme to continue their development.

For employers, this scheme offers many advantages; it will enable you to gain new employees who will be fully trained to entry level at no or little cost to you. You’ll then have the option to develop them further by keeping them on as an apprentice, opening up further funding opportunities.

Those continuing into full-time apprenticeships could go on to gain qualifications at Level 2, 3 and 4, which will look great on their CVs and enhance their career options.

Following the many challenges that the coronavirus pandemic has thrown at businesses this year, unemployment has soared. Vast numbers of staff were furloughed during the first lockdown in the spring and as employers reassessed their position over the following months, staff cuts had to be made. The three months to September saw redundancies reach a record high of 314,000.

PETA’s Sales Manager, Jamie Garrett said:

“This scheme is going to be a great way of getting people back into the workplace. It’s attracted massive interest already with around 300 businesses registered so far in the Hampshire area. It’s ideal for those looking to start their careers at an extremely challenging time or those who find themselves out of work and are looking to change direction and retrain. We are building relationships with new companies every week and the list of available vacancies is growing. We can’t wait to launch this fully in the new year!”

Whether you’re a business looking to utilise the scheme to gain new staff, or an individual looking for a route into a new career, please complete the form below to find out more and register your interest.