Gressingham Foods said that after taking part in the Kickstart programme for less than a year, it has already helped four young people come through the Government initiative, supporting them with bikes, driving lessons and laptops.
Gressingham Foods has been supporting young adults aged between 16 and 24 who are out of work through the Department for Work and Pensions Kickstart programme as well as various other supportive incentives aimed at young workers.
The Kickstart programme provides funding incentives to businesses who take on young adults through the scheme and Gressingham Foods is committed to investing all the Kickstart scheme funding it receives into providing comprehensive training and development opportunities for young adults who join through the programme.
The Suffolk-based meat producer has supported those on the scheme by investing in laptops, bikes, moped hire and driving lessons – helping to ensure they get the support they need to begin forging their careers.
Carrie Barrett, a learning and development manager at Gressingham Foods, said: “We’re really pleased to have worked with the Government to provide support into work for young people from across the region through the Kickstart scheme.
“As a business, we are determined to give our young people all the tools they need to learn, develop and maximise the opportunities available to them. That’s why we go above and beyond to provide our trainees with support to secure a foothold in the world of work.”
Prior to the Kickstart program, Gressingham Foods developed its own Gressingham Academy, offering six-week traineeships to young people.
The academy offered young workers 18-24 hours a week paid work experience, free transport from Ipswich, a free hot meal during their shift and full training and induction with the end result being a job offer.
The business also runs an apprenticeship scheme for young people looking for job opportunities in the food manufacturing sector. These include apprenticeships in poultry, butchery, process operation and warehousing.