The successes of young people who completed a Kickstart internship programme with Aberdeen City Council have been marked during a special recognition ceremony.
The UK Government’s Kickstart scheme was designed to support young people at risk of long-term unemployment into paid six-month work placements. Employers received funding to cover wage and start-up costs for eligible 16-24-year-olds. The Council acted as a Gateway employer for the supporting businesses across the North-east to access it, as well as taking part in this as an employer.
Over the duration of the highly successful scheme, Aberdeen City Council employed 83 young people, who met the criteria for the scheme, on 6 month paid internships. Young Person Guarantee funding from Scottish Government was used to increase their pay from minimum wage, funded through Kickstart, to Real Living Wage. Of these, 39 are still employed by the Council, having secured either a further fixed term contract or permanent employment. In addition, several have moved on to further education or other employment, using the experience gained within their internships. The Kickstart Scheme has been particularly successful for the Council in areas where there are resourcing and skills gaps such as in our Waste and Recycling and Environment Teams.
Aberdeen Lord Provost, Dr David Cameron attended the recognition ceremony and presented certificates of achievement to the young people who completed the programme. The ceremony acknowledged the impact the scheme has had on the Council as an employer, in supporting its future workforce and assisting in its aim to be an employer of choice for young people. It also acknowledged the impact the scheme has had for many young people across the City supported by other employers, giving the opportunity for paid employment. In total, 123 employers accessed the scheme via the Aberdeen City Council gateway. As a result, 338 Kickstart jobs were advertised, resulting in 220 placement starts.
Aberdeen Lord Provost, Dr David Cameron said: “It was an honour to attend the recognition ceremony earlier this week and present certificates to the successful Kickstart Interns, many of whom had such inspiring stories of their time in the scheme and the opportunities it has since presented them with.
“As an employer, it is vital that Aberdeen City Council continues to support programmes such as Kickstart, as it’s a vital lifeline for so many young people in our city in helping them to gain employment in these difficult times.”