NASC members to provide ‘kickstart’ placements to 290 young people

A total of 50 members of the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) will provide 290 young people across the UK with scaffolding experience through the government’s ‘Kickstart’ scheme.

The businesses – both contractors and suppliers – have committed to provide six-month work placements to out-of-work 18–24-year-olds.

Most members will take on more than one candidate under the scheme,
with a handful providing more than 20 positions.

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to create
new job placements for young people on Universal Credit who are at risk of
long-term unemployment.

At the launch of the Kickstart Scheme, applications had to
be for a minimum of 30 job placements. If a single employer was unable provide
this many placements, they could apply for a smaller number through a Kickstart
gateway.

Henry Annafi, NASC training officer, who co-ordinated the NASC’s gateway organisation bid and will support the 50 NASC members through the scheme, said: “These members are as committed to training and recruitment as the NASC is as the UK trade body for the scaffolding industry and I’d like to applaud each and every one of them for their effort and enthusiasm to date. Through my conversations with these members, it’s become clear that they’re all intending to go well beyond the parameters of the scheme and will look to place all successful participants on apprenticeships or full employment once the six-month placement ends.

“There’s a long-term commitment being made and that’s
because the members aren’t just keen to provide young people with short-term
jobs, they want to give them a career.”