Get to know our new employee under the Kickstart Scheme, Alastair.
Citizens Advice Greater Manchester have been working to support our young people across our region on the Kickstart scheme.
The Kickstart Scheme
The scheme has created job placements for 16–24 year olds in Greater Manchester, who are currently on Universal Credit or are at risk of long term unemployment.
We have been working in partnership with a number of Greater Manchester organisations both within the Citizens advice and local charities to deliver this Government Funded employment opportunity.
With six months work experience offered to the young people paying them the national wage. We are especially proud that we and our partners have offered our trainees across Greater Manchester the ‘Real Living Wage’. That has meant that we have topped up their wage giving them £9.50 per hour as set out by the ‘Real Living Wage’.
We and our partners strongly believe that young people in our region deserve the best start in their working life and a fair wage.
Employability supports improving employment prospects.
In addition to the work experience offered, the young people have been offered employability support.
This has been delivered by a Business Development Coordinator specifically employed for the role. Our BDC Yvonne Miller joined the team and has an extensive background in support, mentoring, careers advice and business. The support has been delivered focussing on soft skills training along with careers and employment support. This has given valuable employment skills required to have a successful and secure future.
“In these times there is a big emphasis from employers around soft skills, the young people have worked through a long list of soft skills which will enhance their CV’s. I have teamed up with some providers that offer certification which will also be a great enhancement to their Cv’s. Our young people have had regular support sessions along with open access to me for any additional support they may need. It’s my intention that all our young people either get kept on, or have jobs to move into once their time on Kickstart is complete.” Yvonne Miller, BDC, Citizens Advice Greater Manchester
Keep reading to hear Alastair’s story…
Meet Alastair
Research and Campaign Officer
I graduated from the University of Manchester with a BA in Political Science and Russian Language, I did so in an unstable job market. I would then spend the next 4 months on dole.
I found the Citizens’ Advice Bureau at a Job fair organised by the Mosley Street Job Centre in Central Manchester, where I found a friendly face who is now my job advisor, greet me. She, instead of trying to sell me on a role. Asked what skills I had, I went through my academic history, my background in politics, and my work as an amateaur journalist. She then recommended to me my current role: researcher. Up until that point I had applied for many jobs, from marketing to PR to admin to research roles, but every time I hadn’t reached the interview stage. Now I found someone before me offering me a job I knew I would be good at, at an organisation I would be happy to work for, and one where they offered to pay me a decent wage.
I could not have been more thrilled. I naturally had the interview a few days later, where I met my current manager, and from there it has only been on the up.
Work initially was not easy per-se, I had to get to grips with a lot of systems, introduce myself to people, and generally work out what exactly the quality and nature of work was required from me. Yet after a few months working for the CAB, I cannot recommend it more. I am proud of my job, to the point that my friends are probably sick of hearing me talk about it.
I would suggest anyone who gets the opportunity to work for CAB does so as it is a rewarding job, you are changing people’s lives for the better, and are surrounded by colleagues who all have a legitimate enthusiasm for what they do. Well, I am enthusiastic about it at the very least.
Citizens Advice has created various Kickstart vacancies across several locations in the country. We connect with Jobcentre Plus and work coaches help match potential individuals for the vacancies we have.
We are currently recruiting for 4 General Advisor roles for Pennine West with an immediate start. See below.
If you are interested in the vacancies available at Citizens Advice, contact your work coach at your local jobcentre plus and apply.
