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Young Foodies is now a Kickstart Representative

We can help you hire young talent, fully subsidised through the government's Kickstart Scheme.

Young Foodies will provide training and support to allow you to take full advantage of Kickstart, without any hassle.

What is Kickstart?

Kickstart is a government programme aimed at helping young, at risk talent gain work experience. The scheme reimburses 100% of national minimum wage for companies to hire young talent for 6 month placements.

What do brands have to do to benefit? In return for government-paid-for support, you must provide the hires with the training and guidance necessary for them to grow and develop real work experience. In fact, the government mandates training and gives you £1,500 to go towards it.

Have more questions? See our FAQ

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What roles are eligible?

Kickstart roles must be a minimum of 25 hours per week, lasting 6 months. They cannot be replacing existing or planned vacancies nor cause someone else to lose their job. The placement can start anytime between now and December 2021.

Candidates are sent over by the government, and all will be between 16-24 years old who are on universal credit. Contrary to initial government advice, you will be able to interview, accept or deny them like a normal recruiting process.

Have more questions? See our FAQ

Why register through Young Foodies?

The scheme dictates that you must hire a minimum of 30 roles, which we know is hard for brands of your size. So we have been approved as a Representative to allow many brands to centralize under us.

As a Representative, we collect your applications, submit them to the government and administer the funds to you. We also have built custom training plans for your Kickstart hires, so you can simply outsource the management to us.

 

How does the YF Scheme work?

  1. Hire Kickstart candidates through us
  2. Put them on our training packages using your Government stipend
  3. This will all be absorbed in the government scheme costs
  4. Enjoy the benefits of a bigger team, well supported at zero cost.
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Our Kickstart Training

In order to satisfy government requirements, all new hires must receive formal training that fully equips them for their new role and beyond.

We have developed a unique 6-month online learning experience tailored to the Kickstart Program, where hires will be equipped with all the skills they need to flourish as young professionals through a range of engaging lessons and webinars. They'll also have the opportunity to learn peer-to-peer with a shared online portal.

For £1,250 + VAT of your £1,500 government stipend, we can take the responsibility of training off of your hands, and ensure that both you and your hires get the most out of this experience.

 

Want to Sign up?

 
To benefit from our scheme, confirm your request to participate below, and we will send you the application and more details to follow.

 

Kickstart Interest


Young Foodies can support your team

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Train your whole team

In a high-growth challenger brand, whether you have a team of 2 or 200, managing and developing them everyday can be a challenge. Let Young Foodies do it for you, with over 29 courses offered in 2021.

Book in your training here.

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Hire talent through Young Foodies

If you are looking to hire candidates outside of Kickstart Scheme, we have a specialist talent team of recruiters for our brands at all levels and ranging from Sales to Marketing to Operations roles and more.

Find out more and brief us here.

Kickstart FAQ

 

Hiring Details

What are the timelines to hire?

After Young Foodies have sent applications to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), it usually takes between 5 to 8 weeks until you start receiving interest from prospective candidates. Young Foodies encourages you to submit your applications as soon as possible as it can be a bit of a waiting game.

Can I interview people myself and reject?

Yes, the government wants candidates to go through a normal application process, so you will be able to interview candidates until you find the right person.

What roles are other brands hiring?

Brands are hiring for all types of roles, but it's important to remember that your applicants will not be coming with lots - or any- prior experience. Example roles include: marketing, field sales, other sales, admin, supply chain, production/packing, product, other.

Who arranges the interviews and sends CVs?

The DWP sends prospective applicants new Kickstart opportunities on a rolling basis. If an applicant likes the look of a role, they will reach out to a brand directly (via the email address put on the application form). Then, it is the brand's responsibility to respond and continue with the interview procedure. Young Foodies will not be involved in vetting, interviewing or the hiring of candidates.

How many people can I hire through Kickstart?

Theoretically, you can hire an unlimited number of people through Kickstart, anytime from now until December 2021. Once an individual 6 month placement is complete, you can then hire an additional replacement, receiving new setup and training costs for that individual. Just remember, you will need to manage and provide adequate training for all of these people.

 

Young Foodies' Role

What is Young Foodies' role?

Young Foodies wears many hats in this process. We a) receive and send applications to the DWP b) act as a representative for brands throughout the process c) receive and transfer funds from the DWP to brands d) deliver training to hired Kickstart applicants that meets government requirements.

What are the benefits of YF training?

Young Foodies has created a training program tailored to both the Kickstart scheme and the FMCG industry. Often, applicants have not had much experience of the working world, so our training program ensures they build core skills to use in the workplace. Additionally, there is a specific focus on FMCG basics so that hires can quickly integrate into this fast-paced sector.

Do I have to use YF training?

No, you don't have to use our training. However, Young Foodies' has created this training to make sure that all applicants excel during their placements, whilst also saving you the time needed to develop your own training program that complies with the government's criteria.

 

Finances

How much will this cost me?

You have to pay your hires up front, and you will get reimbursed by the government. You will get paid on month 4 and then month 7 (one month after the internship ends). Once the placement is finished, this will not have cost you anything cash-wise. The government covers minimum wage for 25 hours per week, however if you want to supplement their salary and have them for more than 25 hours a week, you can do out of your own pocket. 

What is included in the government reimbursement?

Companies will receive 100% of national minimum wage (according to the age of the applicant) for 25 hours/week over the 6 month placement period. Insurance and pension is included. An additional £1,500 stipend is given per role for set up costs, support and training. Young Foodies will keep £1,250 + VAT of this stipend to cover the costs of our training program. You will get £250 of VAT refunded money of your stipend to use as you wish.

When do I get reimbursed for my hire?

Government reimbursement will happen in 6 equal monthly installments, but brands are responsible for paying staff in their standard payment scheme first.

Brands will receive the first monthly installment roughly 6 weeks after the candidate has begun their placement.

The DWP will be checking to confirm that you are paying your hire prior to releasing your funds each month, so make you have them on payroll.