The Isle of Wight Council is seeking 45 additional young Islanders to become new staff members.
They will join 11 young people who have already been successful in finding employment at the local authority.
The Council has announced a range of new jobs for Island young people currently on Universal Credit as part of the Kickstart scheme. Paid at up to £8.91 an hour, each job is for 25 hours a week and lasts 6 months.
The jobs come with a full programme of training and support, including computer working, interview skills, and mental health and wellbeing.
Council kickstart coordinator Katy Harwood explains:
“After COVID, and with furlough coming to an end, we know that some young Islanders are struggling to find good jobs.
“So we at the Isle of Wight Council have set up a lot of new jobs which cover many areas of our work, from media and communications through to adult social care. These are actual jobs with training and work experience on offer – and we pay a real wage too.
“These jobs are for people on Universal Credit, so if you’re interested, all you need to do is speak with your Work Coach at Jobcentre Plus. Let them know you’re interested in joining the council for your Kickstart placement and they will be able to give you the full job details.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Chris Jarman is the councillor responsible for resources at the Isle of Wight Council. He said:
“The Kickstart programme is an excellent opportunity for employers to provide young Islanders with a gateway into productive employment. The programme has already delivered a positive impact to the council and we trust it will continue to substantially benefit the lives of our young Islanders.
“We want to inspire more young Islanders to consider a career working in public service and with eleven enthusiastic new staff already working for us, we’re off to a great start.
“We are determined to continue to support young Islanders with the opportunity of employment and with the training required.”
You are only eligible to apply for a Kickstart role if you fit all the following:
- You are aged 16 to 24 years old
- You are claiming Universal Credit
- You have been allocated a Work Coach with Jobcentre Plus
Very good news for these young people. We need to help youngsters into work and put us old fellas out to pasture. Being a fella in my fifties, I’d love to reduce my hours and hand over the reigns to some young vibrant people. We also need to help these younger people on to the property ladder.
I am LEGIT surprised they are getting paid. Hopefully a sign of things to come 😀 Time to put meaningful employment on the table for the Islands youth, except for these soul destroying” jobs” like mcdizzlers. Real careers, for real people.
My hat is off to the council on this one.