WCVA currently offers two ways to support voluntary organisations that want to offer employment opportunities. Tessa White from our Active Inclusion team explains the difference.
The UK Government’s Kickstart scheme has proved very popular with voluntary sector employers, many of whom have accessed it through WCVA’s ‘gateway’ service. But WCVA is also running a work placement scheme through its Active Inclusion grants, supported by European funding. So which is right for you?
SUBSIDISED JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
If you are able to offer one or more placements to young people who are ready to be employed, Kickstart is easier and more straightforward. It has a relatively simple application process and the cost of employing the young person – for a minimum of 25 hours per week for six months at the appropriate minimum wage – is reimbursed in full.
Plus you’ll have access to a further £1,500 to support their development and training costs.
SUPPORTING PEOPLE FACING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT
However, if you would like to offer a placement to someone who is aged 25 or older; or someone of any working age who wants to work less than 25 hours per week – or more – or who needs a lot of additional support before they’re ready to embark on a paid work placement, you should consider Active Inclusion.
Yes, it’s ‘European funding’, so you will need to keep detailed records, of your participants and of your expenditure, and you will need to provide match funding from 10% to 40%, depending on the age groups you’re supporting and the area you’re operating in – but if Kickstart is not for you, why not contact the Active Inclusion team for a chat about it on activeinclusion@wcva.cymru?
Active Inclusion can offer ‘Achieve’ project funding – supported work placements only – ‘Include’ funding for engagement activities that help get people ready for employment; and ‘Combined’ funding for organisations that want to offer a blend of both – ideal for supporting people through the journey from start to finish, at their own pace.
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT
Neither scheme will be with us forever, so if you have an idea for a project or a placement, contact activeinclusion@wcva.cymru or ring us on 0300 111 0124 and we will arrange for someone to talk to you on the phone or via video conferencing.
More information about the schemes can be found on the Kickstart Scheme and Active Inclusion Fund pages of our website.
Both are accessed through MAP, our multipurpose application portal, like all of our other funds – so if you want to apply for any WCVA funding at all, please register on MAP at https://map.wcva.cymru.