Young people aged 16-24 across Bath and North East Somerset and on Universal Credit (UC) are taking advantage of the government’s Kickstart programme to find work across the region, with the help of the charity Citizens Advice. The programme sees the government pays the salaries of the young people while they learn, helping them to acquire skills and a platform from which to build their careers.
Rachel Elias, who trained as a Business Development Assistant at Citizens Advice, said, “We went into lockdown towards the end of my second year at university and this made it difficult to find work placements during my third year, which was part of our assessments.
“It was even harder to find work after finishing university. I couldn’t get interview offers, because most companies look to hire people with experience. It really created confidence issues for me, as I didn’t have real-life job experience, let alone in an area I wanted to work in.
“I worried that this initial set back was going to affect my future career. However, working at the charity has given my confidence a massive boost and I’ve learned a lot. I now feel fully capable of doing a job and that I’m going to have a great career.”
So far, the charity has trained five Kickstart trainees, in either marketing, business development or to be an adviser. Now, with funding from Macmillan Cancer Support and Quartet Community Foundation, the charity is seeking to grow the project. They are already training a new group of advisers and providing further employment and training to members of the first group.
The experience of working with the charity can be invaluable for younger people looking to go into legal or social welfare careers and in the past, local students have sought placements with Citizens Advice for this purpose. In addition to the knowledge gains, candidates have spoken of the rewards of helping so many people who are in difficult situations.
Rhianna Selkridge-Carty finished her Kickstart placement and has taken a full-time place as an adviser at the charity, and aims to progress her career at Citizens Advice. “It was a real privilege to be in a position where clients could talk to me in an honest way about something personal, build trust and establish a strong rapport with clients,” she said. “It was very rewarding to feel like you made a positive impact for the people of your own community.”
With so many people facing financial problems due to price rises and other Covid consequences, the programme is also enabling the charity to bolster its adviser numbers.
Simon Lawson, CEO of the charity, explained, “This training project isn’t just about getting people off Universal Credit and into work. It’s also vital for residents as it will enable us to answer more calls for help from people who are struggling with complex issues like debt and benefits.”
The deadline to apply for the last two trainee adviser places of this round closes on Friday 11 March. Those who are interested must be between 16 and 24 and receiving UC, and should speak to their Job Coaches about applying. Qualifications aren’t necessary, just good basic literacy, basic maths and a real desire to learn and to make a difference in your community.
Those who are interested can find out more by visiting www.citizensadvicebanes.org.uk/job/generalist-adviser/