Forty-five new jobs at the Isle of Wight Council for young people aged 16-24

One of the new staff, working at a local school, has been inspired to train to become a teacher. Another has been taken on with extra hours to do work for WightCare.

New employee Jade has already started work as a Project Coordination Assistant.

She says: “Since starting as a Project Coordination Assistant two months ago, my confidence has skyrocketed.

"I'm developing new skills every day, and it's great to be able to challenge myself while knowing I have a supportive team there to guide me along the way.

"If it weren't for Kickstart I wouldn't have known a role like mine existed, but now I've already realised it is an area of work I really enjoy and would love to pursue a career within.”

Council kickstart coordinator Katy Harwood explained: "After COVID, and with furlough coming to an end, we know that some young Islanders are struggling to find good jobs. 

"So we at the Isle of Wight Council have set up a lot of new jobs which cover many areas of our work, from media and communications through to adult social care.

"These are actual jobs with training and work experience on offer - and we pay a real wage too. 

"To give an example of the sort of support we're offering, we encourage all our new young employees to join the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, and we will pay half the cost for them to do it.

"We've also created a brilliant online training area where our new staff members will gain valuable new skills, employability training to building good work habits and learning about good mental health and wellbeing!

"These jobs are for people on Universal Credit, so if you're interested, all you need to do is speak with your Work Coach at Jobcentre Plus.

"Let them know you're interested in joining the council for your Kickstart placement and they will be able to give you the full job details."

Chris Jarman is the councillor responsible for resources at the Isle of Wight Council. 

He said: "The Kickstart programme is an excellent opportunity for employers to provide young Islanders with a gateway into productive employment.

"The programme has already delivered a positive impact to the council and we trust it will continue to substantially benefit the lives of our young Islanders.

"We want to inspire more young Islanders to consider a career working in public service and with eleven enthusiastic new staff already working for us, we're off to a great start.

"We are determined to continue to support young Islanders with the opportunity of employment and with the training required."

Julie Jones-Evans, councillor for regeneration, added: "The Kickstart programme is a big part of our plan to help the Island's economy recover from COVID-19.

"As one of the leading employers on the island, we lead by example. 

"I hope that other employers will take advantage of the scheme, and offer these positive and timely opportunities to our young people."