Charity comes up with a way to kickstart careers

Younger people on Universal Credit (UC) have found a way to move into employment.

Citizens Advice in Bath and North East Somerset has taken advantage of the government’s Kickstart programme to provide skills to 16–24-year-olds on UC and having trouble getting work.

The government pays their salaries while they learn, helping them acquire skills needed for careers.

Rachel Elias, who trained as a business development assistant at the charity, said: “We went into lockdown towards the end of my second year at university and this made it difficult to find work placements during my third year, which was part of our assessments.

“It was even harder to find work after finishing university. I couldn’t get interview offers, because most companies look to hire people with experience. It really created confidence issues for me, as I didn’t have real-life job experience, let alone in an area I wanted to work in. I worried this initial set back was going to affect my future career. However, working at the charity has given my confidence a massive boost and I’ve learned a lot.”

So far, the charity has trained five Kickstart trainees, in marketing, business development or as advisers. Now, with funding from Macmillan Cancer Support and Quartet Community Foundation, the charity is seeking to grow the project.

It is training a new group of advisers and providing further employment and training to members of the first group.

Those who are interested can find out more by visiting www.citizensadvicebanes.org.uk/job/generalist-adviser/