Following our partnership with Transform Lives Company (TLC), we’re pleased to say we have helped generate 26 jobs for previously unemployed young people in the Liverpool City Region, through the Government’s Kickstart Scheme.
Ten digital and creative businesses based here in Baltic Creative spaces have engaged with the initiative, including illustrator and card manufacturer, Lucy Maggie Designs and design studio, Unit3.
We have also recently advertised two newly created positions through the programme, and are currently recruiting for both a Property Assistant and a Communications Assistant.
Kickstart encourages businesses to create new roles that could be filled by previously unemployed 16 – 24-year olds. Government funding then covers 100% of the national minimum wage, or the national living wage, depending on the age of the participant, for 25 hours per week for a total of six months. Since launching the partnership in October 2020, we have held regular Kickstart briefing sessions with TLC, ensuring both parties were on hand to offer support and advice to employers that signed up to the programme.
Martin Shutt, Director at Unit3 Design Studio, said:
“To date we have taken on two placements in our Liverpool Baltic studio – William joined us in May as a trainee architectural assistant and Anna joined us as an office manager in September. Both have excelled in their roles helping to grow the business and expand our client base and capabilities. We would fully recommend other employers take advantage of the Kickstart scheme and using Transform Lives Company as their gateway provider.”
With Kickstart now extended by the Chancellor until March 2022; businesses have until the end of December to log their interest. TLC is urging as many businesses to join the programme as possible and provide job placements for young people.
Lucy Nicholson, Illustrator and Director at Lucy Maggie Designs, said:
“Our Kickstarters have enabled us to create a much more diverse offering in terms of the stationery products we offer, making the business much more appealing to a wider audience… and therefore helping to grow the company! As a small, independent business, before we simply didn’t have the funding to take on extra help, but the addition of the new team members helping to grow the company has meant that we may well be able to take on more staff outside of the scheme in the future.”
Young people who are interested in taking part in the initiative should keep in touch with their local Job Centre and follow Baltic Creative and TLC’s Twitter accounts for the latest updates.
