Severn Trent to take on 500 young ‘kickstarters’

The water and waste company Severn Trent has announced it is aiming to take on 500 people as part of the government’s new Kickstart scheme over the next year.

The utility company hopes to take on the 500 new people over the course of the next 12 months, aiming for up to 80 new starters a month, with placements lasting for six months and covering 25 hours a week.

The scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16- to 24-year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment and runs until the end of 2021.

‘This is a simply brilliant scheme and, after looking at it, we just knew we could support many, many people who might otherwise be at risk of simply not being able to get back into the workforce,’ said Severn Trent chief executive, Liv Garfield.

‘There’ll be a whole range of roles we’ll be looking to fill across everything that we do, as well as being able to offer training for a variety of really useful skills at our new academy in Coventry.

‘We’re absolutely certain we’ll find a load of really talented people who, at the very least, will leave us with a range of new skills they might be able to put to use with other employers. We’re also pretty certain we’ll end up with a number of new colleagues who’ll have impressed so much during their placement we absolutely had to take them on full-time.’

Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, added: ‘The scheme is a clear way to help young people into work, but it will only be as successful as the number of companies who pledge to take youngsters on. That is why I am so delighted at Severn Trent’s commitment, which will not only help hundreds of youngsters, but also help to add a new layer of energy and thought to Severn Trent.

‘The West Midlands Combined Authority will work with Severn Trent to ensure their kickstarters have access to all the support and training they require.’

Photo Credit – Kaboompics (Pixabay)