Leicester College to offer two new courses for 16–24-year-olds on Government’s Kickstart scheme

Leicester College (@LeicesterColl) has launched two new courses aimed at supporting young people and adults on the UK Government’s Kickstart scheme. 

Kickstart provides funding to create new job placements for 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment. The Leicester College courses will provide students with general and vocational training, and support to improve their employability and job prospects.

The ‘Kickstart Scheme level 1’ five-day course is aimed at young people already in a Kickstart placement and helps employers to honour training commitments. The ‘Customer Relations and Administration Kickstart level 1’ three-week course is for young people looking to apply for a Kickstart vacancy.

Leicester College will be working with Jobcentre Plus to liaise with employers and potential students over recruitment for the courses from 25 January 2021.

Customer Relations and Administration Kickstart level 1 is a three-week, blended learning course that will enable students to gain valuable office and contact centre skills. Areas covered include: 
• introduction to business
• administration and customer service
• effective use of ICT in the workplace
• the science behind success
• strategies to develop your confidence
• caring for your mental health and well-being
• infection control and prevention
• personal safety
• health and safety
• how to research and apply for job opportunities
• creating a tailored CV and application form

The five-day, blended learning Kickstart Scheme level 1 course will support students with:

• support to look for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals
• support with CV and interview preparations
• supporting the participant with basic skills, such as attendance, timekeeping and teamwork

Ian Lewis, Employment and Skills Manager at Leicester College said:

“The pandemic has created an uncertain employment landscape, particularly for younger people who may be at risk of becoming long-term unemployed, who may not have much work history or who may be suffering from a lack of confidence after a period at home this year.

“The Kickstart scheme aims to provide funding to employers to create job placements for 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit. Our new courses will support young people on the Kickstart scheme by providing them with training, skills and accreditations to help them with a range of careers including customer service, business administration and many more.”