Helping young people get their kick-start!

by Karolina Wyligala, Development Manager at Queen Mary’s Gate

Juggling the recruitment needs in my team, as well as the operational budget for my development can sometimes be a challenge! In the fast-paced world of property management often we can be limited by funds, or other obstacles, so I wanted to write this in the hopes it might encourage others to think outside the box!

That’s the approach I took when it came to a recent resourcing challenge I faced. I didn’t have the funds to spend on using agencies to resource extra personnel to support my team. Then I came across a government funded scheme called Kickstart and immediately I showed interest in participating. The Kickstart Scheme provided funding for assisting 16- to 24-year- olds who were at risk of long-term unemployment. The programme was launched to offer young people employment opportunities by connecting them with employers, and giving them a chance to learn new skills and “kick-start” their career! It was perfect for me as not only did I need the manpower, but I also wanted the chance to make a difference in someone’s life.From the time I signed up to start working with the Kickstart Team, until the time the programme ended, I’m proud to share that I was able to provide 3 young people with employment, a team to work with as part of the POD family, and training!

Although all 3 spent different amounts of time with us, they provided the extra support we needed, and their help was invaluable in dealing with some time-consuming tasks! Because of their hard work we managed to dedicate hours of time to raising standards on site and completing hundreds of tasks!

Be brave, be bold and make a difference

The good news doesn’t end there as after leaving QMG all 3 participants secured employment immediately, which I know was due to the work opportunity they were given at POD and the chance to prove themselves! I have been contacted to provide references for all 3, and more recently received positive feedback directly from one of the current Line Managers who told me that the commitment demonstrated by this young person was being recognised and he was therefore now promoted to a different role!
My mission was accomplished! I felt so proud as I dedicated my time to run this project and managed to help these 3 young individuals find their feet in a work environment.