Delivery organisation: Whitehead Ross Education
Quickstart Bridgend worked with unemployed and economically inactive people, supporting them with work placements in small businesses across Bridgend County Borough.
The project helped 76 people gain valuable work experience, and the majority of these were offered jobs with their employer at the end of their placement.
With wages paid for 25 hours a week for up to 6 months, the scheme offered local employers a low-risk way to trial new roles and expand the workforce. Participants also had access to a £500 training fund, giving them new skills to help them in their placements and future employment.
An independent evaluation of the project was carried out by Miller Research. For many participants, the placements were instrumental in helping them secure roles they would not have otherwise been considered for.
Almost all employers surveyed indicated that without the support from Quickstart, they would not have created the placement roles and would have been unlikely to consider employing people with limited or no previous experience.
This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
