Catch up with the Kickstarters

Last month, Six Town Housing welcomed 5 new trainee staff members as part of the government funded Kickstart Scheme. The Kickstart scheme provides paid, on-the-job experience, training, support and mentoring for 18 to 24 year olds in receipt of Universal Credit who were at risk of long term unemployment.

We caught up with these staff members to find out how they were finding their new trainee roles.

Ellie Redfern, Trainee Community Support Worker, said, “I’m loving my job, it’s completely different than I expected but I’ve managed to do so much in such a short space of time. Working with several great people it’s given me what I needed to decide that this is the job I want to turn into a career.”

Bronte Kent, Trainee Customer Advisor Assistant, said, “I am fitting into my job role very well, the staff have been lovely, they have been supporting me throughout my time here. They have trained me on numerous things that I have picked up quickly and I’m very happy with everything so far. This has been an amazing experience that I will never forget, I would recommend this job highly.”

James Deane, Trainee Customer Advisor Assistant, said, “The job up until now has been great and perfect for me. I have been trained quickly and efficiently and everyone here has been nothing other than welcoming and supportive, I cannot say enough nice things and I appreciate the opportunity I have been given.”

Chloe Gough, Trainee Community Support Worker, said, “I am really enjoying being part of the Six Town Housing team as a community support worker. I am learning new skills every week and I really enjoy helping people find job opportunities through the Steps To Success programme. I also enjoy going into the community and helping with any problems that need to be resolved.”

Rameel Riaz, Trainee Data Quality Assistant, said, “I’ve really settled into my job now and I’m enjoying the work I’m doing. Everyone has been super welcoming, and it has been interesting to see how my role and department links into the rest of the business. I’ve even taken part in ISO auditing which has added to my experience. Overall, although I haven’t been here that long, I’ve been exposed to a lot of different aspects of the business which has allowed me to develop many different skills as well as implement the knowledge I’d picked up at university. This is down to how willing to help and engaging everyone is at Six Town Housing and it has given me experience I don’t think I would have gotten elsewhere.”

Steps to Success are working towards offering 4 more Kickstart roles which include one Waste and Recycling Assistant, two Neighbourhoods Assistants and one Rents Support Assistant. Keep your eyes out for more information if you’re interested.