Nearly 20 young people are already working in roles with the local authority with a further 30 posts in the pipeline, either working directly for Adur & Worthing or through partner organisations such as Worthing Homes and Esteem.


To raise awareness and promote the six month paid placements, the Councils have held holding a series of COVID-safe drop-in events at Worthing Town Hall.


Anyone who is aged 16 to 25 on Universal Credit can apply for the roles, which can only be secured through their Jobcentre Plus Workcoach.


Cllr Brian Boggis, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “The Kickstart programme offers a fantastic opportunity for young people who are not in education or employment to get valuable paid experience of work, which will help set them up for their chosen career.

“Our hope is that by this summer we will have more than 50 people on these placements, either directly or with trusted partners. I urge anyone interested to get in touch to see what exciting opportunities we have available.”


Cllr Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “With 20 young people in posts already, I’m delighted to say that we are leading the way in terms of creating Kickstart opportunities for local young people. 


“This is not just about six months of paid work placements, but about offering support, advice and training so that people gain lifelong skills and confidence to progress into full time employment.”


Funding for the six month placements is provided directly to employers by the government.


For each job, this covers 100 per cent of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours of work per week, plus the employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.


Employers can spread the start date of the job placements up until the end of December this year.


Local businesses or organisations looking to create opportunities are able to do so by accessing the Councils’ Gateway scheme.


For more details, visit: www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme