With the March 31 deadline for the Kickstart scheme looming Liverpool city region employers are being urged to offer opportunities to young adults. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool city region employers have until March to take advantage of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme which offers young adult paid work placements.

And the head of Liverpool-based business, I Am Moore, is urging firms to act now before the March 31 deadline. Lynn Lock said: “I want to remind those looking to employ young people about the amazing opportunities and benefits to their business the Kickstart Scheme can bring.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the Kickstart scheme in summer 2020 as part of his Plan for Jobs. It offers fully-funded six-month jobs placements for young people aged 18 to 24 who are in receipt of Universal Credit. It offers either Minimum or National Living Wage. Each placement guarantees at least 25 hours a week.

I Am Moore is a ‘social impact mission’ set up to upskill and support young people from their initial meetings in Jobcentres until the end of a paid six month role, and then into long-term employment.

So far, the business has placed more than 180 young people into work – 29 in the last month alone. However, there are employers signed up to the mission still yet to take the full opportunity the scheme presents.

Lynn added: “There are a number of Kickstart gateways such as I Am Moore that have employers signed up but still yet to employ a kickstarter. This may be because they’ve not met a candidate suitable for a particular role or they’ve simply not had the time to go through the process.

“I want to remind those looking to employ young people about the amazing opportunities and benefits to their business the Kickstart scheme can bring. You can train someone for a certain skill, which you are also paid to do, and their salary is reimbursed.”

Working with employers from a range of sectors including hospitality, education and construction, I Am Moore’s pledge to get young adults aged 16-24 from across the Liverpool city region and beyond into paid employment continues, with the aim of placing 500 candidates before the March deadline.