The latest initiative announced by the government, as part of a package of measures to support businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, is the ‘Kickstart Scheme’, which aims to help young people by providing £2bn of funding to employers to create job placements for 16 to 24-year olds.
At UKWA, we have welcomed this announcement on behalf of a sector that has long struggled with attracting and retaining talented young people, and accordingly we are committed to supporting members in applying for funding.
Although the proposed ‘Kickstart’ support is for an initial six-month placement only, it gives the industry opportunity to showcase warehousing and logistics as a fast-paced, IT driven environment with clear career paths, and to recruit the young employees we need as rapid online retail growth brings increased demand for our services.
Astonishingly, our industry still suffers from an outdated image of ‘brown coats and clipboards’, and too few young people asked about their career plans even consider logistics. At successive conferences business leaders have discussed this problem, and here is our chance to do something about it. The scheme could well offer a ‘kickstart’ to our sector as well as to young people.
COVID-19 has changed our sector irrevocably, not least because warehousing and logistics has at long last been recognised as essential, not only to the economy but also to people’s lives, in ensuring food and other goods are available on the shelves, or more pertinently, delivered to the doorstep. With the profile of our sector heightened and our role in society better appreciated, arguably, there’s never been a better time to promote the industry to young people.
On top of this, as the UK prepares to leave the EU, we have already seen a ‘Brexodus’ of immigrant workers leaving the country, and with tough new immigration barriers, the long-standing struggle with labour shortages as peak season approaches is likely to be amplified. The Kickstart scheme provides a starting point for us to begin to address these challenges, secure new home-grown talent and introduce young employees to the great opportunities available in warehousing and logistics.
That’s why UKWA is encouraging as many businesses as possible to take advantage of this timely government funding, which covers 100% of national minimum wage for 25 hours a week, as well as associated employer National Insurance contributions and minimum auto enrolment pension contributions. In partnership with Associate Member HR Solutions we will be offering guidance and support to those members keen to be involved, from help with application for Kickstart funding to delivery of the training required by the scheme.
‘Kickstart’ is just what the industry needs!
Peter Ward
UKWA, CEO
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