FinTech Kickstart Scheme Catchup
17 January, 2022
The UK Government Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Last year, FinTech Wales and its partners launched the FinTech Kickstart scheme. As a result, over 30 successful placements were created for young people across our membership.
The UK government typically requires companies to take on a minimum of 30 placements in order to apply for the programme. This may be difficult for some FinTech start-ups, who may not have the scale to support 30 new employees and their training. To aid in this, FinTech Wales partnered with The FinTech Power 50 to act as a gateway representative company for the programme, allowing FinTech Wales member’s to take on one or more placements, as well as helping to streamline the application process.
We caught up with three of the Kickstarters who were hired as a result of our initiative to learn a bit more about their placements and the opportunities it has opened up for them.
Additionally, we’re excited to announce that FinTech Wales has a new Kickstarter position for the role of Junior Project Coordinator. Read to the end of this blog to find out more about this vacancy.
Confused.com, the UK’s first comparison platform for car insurance, recently welcomed two kickstarters to their team. We got to ask Callum Parry – who has since become a permanent employee at Confused.com – a few questions about his placement.
Callum Parry, Junior Tech Admin Assistant
Company: Confused.com
Age: 23
Q: Tell us briefly about your previous work experience and/or education.
A: I didn’t have any previous work experience before my role at Confused.com. I attended the University of South Wales from 2018-2020 where I studied Information Technology. I’ve also attended Coleg Gwent college where I gained a Higher National Diploma in Information Communication Technology, I also studied there for 2 years.
Q: What led you to apply for a Kickstart position?
A: I applied for the Kickstarter position at Confused.com as I was desperate to get some experience in the IT industry and get my career in IT started. Most other employers or recruiters were asking for a significant amount of experience that I just didn’t have at that time but the Kickstart scheme gave me a foot in the door and got my career started in IT.
Q: How have Confused.com supported your professional growth within your current role? i.e what mentorship/training has been offered to you?
A:Confused.com has been brilliant since I started back in June 2021. A certain amount of hours for training was offered to me by my manager, Cameron, who has been a great help in allowing me to further my skill set by allocating time out from my day to day work and focus on carrying out training courses.
Q: Do you feel that your placement has assisted in moving you closer towards your long-term career goals?
A: My placement opened many doors for me in both Confused.com and in the IT industry. My experience working under the support desk team has allowed me to secure my new role at Confused.com but also to other positions and career paths that I could pursue in the future. The Kickstarter scheme has been a great starting point for my career and I’m grateful I got the opportunity to be a part of it.
Multi-award winning Order & Pay solution for hospitality and retail Yoello recently welcomed three Kickstarters to their team. We had the opportunity to interview two of these new recruits.
Isabella Mawer, Junior Marketing Executive
Company: Yoello
Age: 22
Q: Tell us briefly about your previous work experience and/or education.
A: I am a recent Business Management graduate of Henley Business School at the University of Reading. During my time at university, I decided to spend my third year studying abroad in Sydney, rather than an integrated work placement. My experience in Australia was invaluable, allowing me to travel, live and study on the other side of the world is an experience I would never change.
Q: What led you to apply for a Kickstart position?
A: I graduated with little industry experience making it extremely difficult when applying for jobs. As every job application I was looking at required previous work experience in the career fields I was applying for. I knew I wanted to begin a career within marketing, as a result of the modules and projects I thoroughly enjoyed on my course. With a goal of working within the fashion industry, I set out to gain experience and skills first that are transferable to my long-term aspirations. Thus, the Junior Marketing Executive position at Yoello seemed like the perfect opportunity for me as the scheme gives entry-level candidates the opportunity to gain experience to help them get started in their career.
Q: How has Yoello supported your professional growth within your current role? i.e what mentorship/training has been offered to you?
A: Since starting at Yoello 3 months ago, I have been in abundance of new information and experiences. It is fair to say that this role at Yoello has allowed me to gain skills I would not have otherwise learnt in a role elsewhere. I believe that this is a result of the start-up nature of the business, which made my role as Junior Marketing Executive very hands-on from the start. It could be said that I was ‘thrown in at the deep end’ when I first joined Yoello. However, I believe that this was the best possible approach as I was given responsibility from the start, allowing me to adapt to my role very quickly. I have received support from many members of the team at Yoello, in particularly Marketing Manager, David Bull.
Q: Do you feel that your placement has assisted in moving you closer towards your long-term career goals?
A: This placement at Yoello has been the perfect stepping stone in my career. I feel as though I have gained the relevant skills to give me a grounding to move forward in my career. As a Junior Marketing Executive, I have covered all aspects of the role and more from graphic design to PR, assisting me to move towards my long-term career goals.
Kieran Green, Junior Sales Executive
Company: Yoello
Age: 23
Q: Tell us briefly about your previous work experience and/or education.
A: I have a BAHons in Music from BIMM. Previous work experience includes; Luxury Watch Salesman, lettings agent, waiter and bar staff.
Q: What led you to apply for a Kickstart position?
A: Since coming out of University, I was looking for an opportunity to begin my career. Through the Kickstarter scheme, I have been able to gain masses of experience that would have been much harder to come by through alternative means of employment.
Q: How has Yoello supported your professional growth within your current role? i.e what mentorship/training has been offered to you?
A: Yoello has a brilliant support structure that focuses on employee progression. They have given me a broad array of training covering many corners of the Fintech space. This has given me the opportunity to develop skills within my field, ultimately improving me as a professional.
Q: Do you feel that your placement has assisted in moving you closer towards your long-term career goals?
A: Yes, most definitely.
FinTech Wales – Junior Project Coordinator
We’re currently looking for a Junior Project Coordinator to join the FinTech Wales team through the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme. This position is only eligible for those aged between 16-24 who are currently claiming Universal Credit. If you’re interested in this role, please quote the following reference number to your work coach to find out more: 374597
Alternatively, applicants can quote the above reference number and email a copy of their CV to [email protected].