Consortia launched to widen Kickstarter Scheme eligibility

Hospitality training and apprenticeship provider Umbrella Training has launched a new initiative to help hospitality businesses utilise the government's new Kickstart Scheme.

The ‘Umbrella Kickstart Hospitality Consortia' aims to help hospitality businesses of all sizes to access the available kickstart grants, even if they cannot offer the 30 placements required to qualify.

The government incentive allows employers to claim between £2,730 and £4,920 in wages for six months of an individual's employment, as well as a grant of £1,500 to support their training and development.

The Kickstart Hospitality Consortia will also offer hospitality businesses a package of support, including sourcing funding, recruitment, pre-screening of candidates, and training in clinical cleanliness prior to starting on the Kickstart programme.

The launch hopes to support hospitality employers and attract new people into the sector, and in the longer term help with the people shortage that is anticipated to return once the sector is back to capacity.

Adele Oxberry, chief executive of Umbrella Training, said: "The Kickstart scheme is a perfect way to support budgets, bring some new people into the business, or return the old people who were made redundant and claimed universal credits.

"It can be a real success if coupled with a great development package that supports a kickstarter. And if an apprenticeship is added at the end of the scheme, hospitality businesses are looking at a potential financial gain of £3,500 in grants, up to £4,920 in wages and a new team member that is aligned to the business and ready to support it on the road to recovery.

"Our vision is for young people to see hospitality as a career of choice and this initiative gives people the incentive to look into hospitality and fall in love with it. At the same time it allows us to be the industry that trains the nation's workforce in transferable skills."

Businesses interested in receiving the support of the Umbrella Kickstart Hospitality Consortia should attend the organisation's webinar on Friday 18 September at 10.30am, which will provide detail of the Kickstart rules and how to apply, before submitting expressions of interest.

Umbrella Training will make a £10 donation to Hospitality Action by for each placement made within the consortium.