Kickstarting a career in local government
By: Camden Inclusive Economy
Tags: Employment, Kickstarter, Apprenticeship

Words by Nina Scuffil, Apprenticeship Coordinator at London Borough of Camden.

We have all experienced the impact of the pandemic in different ways, but in terms of unemployment, young workers have been hit hardest. The number of 16–24 year olds claiming unemployment benefit in the UK increased significantly over the past year.

In response, the government introduced the Kickstart Scheme, a £2 billion initiative aiming to create thousands of six-month, paid work experience placements with employers. Jobs under this scheme are open to 16 to 24 year olds in receipt of Universal Credit and who are at risk of long-term unemployment. The government pays the salary at the national minimum wage and covers 25 hours per week.

Kickstart has been embraced by Camden Council, with the Good Work Camden fund being used to top wages up to London Living Wage for 36 hours per week. This made opportunities at Camden more accessible to disadvantaged people, parents or those living alone. Managers across the Council were encouraged to create placements within their service, and by December 2020, 33 vacancies had been created. We’re delighted that so many managers showed enthusiasm to welcome young people into their teams.

Camden Apprenticeships team began a large Kickstart recruitment campaign in January and February 2021 to screen potential candidates, prioritising local people. Meanwhile, Learning and Development colleagues developed a package of training and support to equip new recruits with the employability skills they will need to progress into longer-term work on completion of their contracts.

Apart from the obvious financial benefits of participating in the scheme, managers expressed a range of other motivations and advantages. Emily Hillman is a Performance Officer in the Contact Camden Customer Services team:

“Our team decided to take on a Kickstarter to give an opportunity to a young person wanting to progress their career after such a tough year for those seeking employment or in jobs that have been severely impacted by the pandemic. Camden as an organisation is an amazing place for those that have the drive to succeed to further their careers, with many opportunities for learning and progression.”

Emily Hillman, Performance Officer at London Borough of Camden

Julien Danero-Iglesias is the Lead for the Participation team. He took on two Kickstarters to assist with the co-production and facilitation of workshops and activities to engage young people. The Kickstart scheme provided a good opportunity for Julien to recruit those who could work effectively with key target groups:

“The Participation Team works directly with Camden residents to launch and enable social action and to make sure their voices are part of everything the council does. More and more teams across the council are launching their own participatory projects and we signed up to the Kickstart programme to work with young local people who might help us reach out to new groups of residents across the borough.” “Both our Kickstarters are from Camden and know what it is like for young people in the borough. They have joined our team at the right moment to launch We Make Camden, a new programme of work which is aimed at community-led social action across the borough. They have started working with us on some of our missions to tackle the effects of the pandemic and they are bringing fresh perspectives and insights which will help us make this campaign more tangible for Camden residents.”

The March Kickstarters have got off to a great start and provided some very positive feedback about their experiences. After just one month, HR Assistant Kickstarter Mahieda Sarkar already has more confidence to interact with staff at different levels of seniority:

“Prior to working for Camden, the idea of networking seemed daunting. I mentioned this to my manager and she suggested setting up introductory meetings with people across the organisation. I was nervous at first but the more meetings I had, the easier it became. I have missed out on many opportunities due to my fear of networking — now I don’t need to avoid any opportunities that come my way.”

Alberto Castaneda Aponte began his Kickstart placement as a Planning Support Officer in the Appeals and Enforcement team. He feels that Kickstart opens doors and allows people:

“to gain a great amount of knowledge in a field and role that previously, somebody with no experience would’ve had a hard time getting.”

He particularly appreciated the range of training on offer which he says has allowed him to become ‘more confident and open-minded in my decision making.’

Alberto Castaneda Aponte, Kickstart Apprentice

Camden Apprenticeships team will be reviewing the success of the scheme as it continues while overseeing the arrival of new Council Kickstarters in April and May. We will also provide support to managers wishing to offer apprenticeships to their Kickstarters once the six-month contracts come to an end.

If you are interested in taking advantage of the Kickstart scheme offering an opportunity to a young person, please email kickstart@camden.gov.uk for information on how to get started.

If you would like to recruit an apprentice, Camden Apprenticeships offers a free end-to-end recruitment service focusing on local residents. We source training, advertise, screen and shortlist so you can focus on the important task of developing your new recruit. Employers who recruit by September 2021 will receive a £3000 government incentive to spend on any organisational costs. Contact apprenticeships@camden.gov.uk or visit camden.gov.uk/apprenticeships