Racing Foundation supports a coordinated approach to Government Kickstart Scheme

15 Jul 2021

The British Racing School (BRS), supported by the Racing Foundation and the Resume Foundation, has today launched a coordinated approach to the government-funded Kickstart scheme.

The Kickstart Scheme facilitates horseracing businesses and charities to employ young people for free for six months, provided they are aged 16 to 24 and claiming universal credit. The funding covers 100% of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours per week for a total of six months plus £1,500 per employee to support set up costs.

The BRS has developed a programme of support for employers interested in offering employment to a Kickstart candidate. This will help them to access the scheme and recruit young people into the racing industry. The Kickstarters will receive training that will focus on introducing them to the racing industry and support their future employment. It is hoped these opportunities will attract new staff to the industry across a wide range of roles.

There are currently 40,000 Kickstarters in employment across the UK in a variety of sports and industries. Among others, the English Football League Trust (EFL) and Compass Group have taken a coordinated approach to the scheme.

The Racing Foundation are pleased to be supporting the project. Rob Hezel, Chief Executive Officer of the Racing Foundation, said: “By coordinating racing’s approach to the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, the Racing Foundation is delivering on its purpose to be a catalyst for improvement in the industry.

“Our aim is to support individual Kickstarters to gain work in our brilliant industry while offering employers additional resources. This comes at a time when racing, along with the rest of the country, opens up and becomes busier than ever after the uncertainty of the last 18 months.

“Streamlining the process to get a Kickstarter into their workforce will hopefully incentivise racing employers across the country to take advantage of this great opportunity.” 

A guide to the scheme can be found here with further information available at https://brs.org.uk/kickstart/. Employers are encouraged to register their interest by October 1 2021. Roles must commence by December 31 2021 to be eligible for support.