Young people hit by pandemic get kickstart to a new career

A trio of young people affected by the downturn in the Covid-19-ravaged job market have been given a kickstart to get their careers back on track.

Izzy McGarry, Alexie Dean and Codie Ellis, all from Salford, have joined Salix Homes as part of the Government-funded Kickstart Scheme.

Like thousands of young people across the country, they have all felt the impact of the pandemic, both personally and professionally.

Izzy, 21, is ournew learning and development assistant, but had been working in the hospitality sector prior to the pandemic – an industry devastated by the lockdown restrictions.

She said: “The pandemic has given me a lot of time to help me reflect on what I want to do. Working in pubs was great for a couple of years, but I couldn’t see myself progressing in that industry, which is why I wanted to join the Kickstart programme and try a new sector.”

Codie, 20, had started a dental nursing apprenticeship which was cancelled amid the pandemic. She’s now joined us as an assistant in ourPeople Services Team, which deals with HR matters.

She said: “After my apprenticeship was cancelled, I worked in residential homes, which I did find very rewarding, but trying to find jobs at the moment is really difficult and it knocks your confidence a little bit.”

Alexie, 24, is ournew project assistant and had been unemployed for six months prior to joining the Kickstart Scheme.

He said: “I’ve definitely felt isolated over the last year. It’s like you’re missing out on a bit of your life and there’s things you should be doing, but you’re not. The learning side of the Kickstart programme is most important for me – I want to better myself and help my future.”

Kickstart is a £2billion funded national scheme designed to create high quality, six-month, paid work placements for unemployed young people aged 16 to 24, claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

Sue Sutton, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “Young people are amongst the hardest hit by the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, so we’re very proud to be able to create these new job opportunities for local people who may have otherwise struggled to secure employment.

“Izzy, Alexie and Codie are motivated, enthusiastic and eager to learn, and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the Salix Homes team and help them to develop the skills and experience they need to build themselves a bright future.”