#QueerStart - New Opportunities through the KickStart Scheme

Learnest is proud to announce today that we are joining 12 other LGBTQ+ organisations providing more than 40 job placements for young people aged 16 – 25 across the UK.

The #QueerStart jobs are created through the new Kickstart Scheme, a Government initiative created in 2020 to fund the creation of high-quality jobs for young people at risk of long-term unemployment. The aim of the Kickstart scheme is to give young people the chance to build their confidence and skills in the workplace and to gain experience that will improve their chances of going on to find long term work.

As part of the #QueerStart scheme, the Learnest will be providing employability support and training to many of the new recruits as well as creating a new position for a Young Person to join our team. This work complements our long term vision as an organisation to develop new work and skill development opportunities for LGBTQ+ communities.

Stonewall Housing, a charity in the UK working with Homeless LGBTQ+ people of all ages, has been instrumental in coordinating this work as the approved gateway organisation for the scheme. They have teamed up with learnest and eleven other LGBTQ+ organisations across the UK to provide more than 40 placements for young people aged 16 – 25.

Young people have the opportunity to work at Stonewall Housing, ELOP, LGBT Switchboard, Mermaids, Opening Doors London, London Friend, The Outside Project, Free 2B Alliance, Galop, Mosaic LGBT+ Young Person’s Trust, Allsorts, Gendered Intelligence and, of course, Learnest.

Steven McIntyre, Chief Executive of Stonewall Housing, said, “I’m just so pleased to see these incredible organisations coming together to create so many opportunities for young people who are passionate about LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion to gain some real-world experience, doing something that makes a real difference.”

Job placements are specifically for young people up to 25 who are unemployed and receiving Universal Credit. The jobs last for 6 months and young people will not only gain on the job experience, but they will also receive specific support to help build their employment skills and confidence, getting them ready for their next job.

Louie Stafford, Managing Director of Learnest said, “As an organisation with a focus on LGBTQ+ equality in employment, Learnest is thrilled to support employee’s through the scheme to develop professional skills and get ready for their future careers.”

The job roles on offer through the scheme are varied, from working directly with LGBTQ+ people to managing social media and everything in between. Whichever role a young person takes on, they can be sure that they will be joining an inclusive environment that celebrates people for who they are.

Jacob Bayliss, Chief Executive Officer at Brighton LGBT Switchboard is excited to welcome someone from the Kickstart scheme to his team, “We are proud to join Stonewall Housing and other LGBTQ+ organisations across the country in providing opportunities for young people to build their confidence and skills and are excited to welcome a young person to the team and have their support in delivering our vital work.”

If you would like to apply to join the Learnest team please keep an eye out on our social media channels and website in the coming weeks where we will advertise the role when it goes live. Those who want to work in the sector go to their Job Centre and ask to be referred for a specific job, they’ll then be given the information on how to apply. It’s a simple as that.

To find out more about Stonewall Housing and the other incredible organisations in this initiative visit: www.stonewallhousing.org/queerstart