The Owls are proud to report on our success story with the Government Kickstart Scheme, aimed at providing young people a new pathway into employment.
Introduced in September last year, the £2bn Kickstart project, backed by the EFL, gives people between the ages of 16-24 the platform to pursue funded career opportunities.
Both the club and the Sheffield Wednesday FC Community Programme (SWFCCP) have been at the forefront of utilising Kickstart, leading the way for football clubs across the UK.
Mike Evans, CEO of the EFL Trust, said: “The impact of COVID-19 on our young people is clearly very significant and we are delighted to be able to offer opportunities to young people in our communities through the Kickstart programme.
“A key part of our strategy at the EFL Trust is to raise aspirations and realise the potential within our communities and a scheme like Kickstart enables us to have a significant impact on the young people who need our support most right now.”
The EFL has an allocation of 500 Kickstart positions on six-month placements across the lifetime of the scheme and the Owls have filled seven so far, with education, marketing and office administration staff joining in recent months.
Ed Kinsey, SWFCCP Education Manager, said: “We are delighted to be a part of the Kickstart Scheme - we are committed to providing opportunities into employment within the local community to make a positive impact against youth unemployment.
“Offering training and development to young people is at the heart of the Community Programme’s vision and values.”
Cameron Calvert, 21, has taken up a Marketing Executive role at the club and explained: “Before joining the Owls, I was unemployed for 10 months after leaving university and was just starting a part time retail job.
“I was made aware of a Kickstart role with Wednesday and I had to apply. Thankfully I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to work with the club I’ve supported all my life and it’s truly surreal!
“The process was so quick and I am very thankful for the opportunity. I think it’s brilliant that Wednesday are offering young people these chances to get involved in all areas of the club.”
Amy Otter, 22, has joined as an Education Administrator with SWFCCP and said: “My work coach showed me some Kickstart courses on my journal, so I applied - I was really impressed with how smooth the process was.
“I’m grateful for the chance to show people what I can do because I’d been searching for a chance like this for ages!”
Bailey Cowsell, 19, who works as a Teaching Assistant and Support Staff Member at SWFCCP, said: “I was out of work for a while and the job at Sheffield Wednesday was such a good opportunity I couldn’t turn it down.
“I went through an interview, it’s a lovely team and they were really enthusiastic about bringing people on. They have already given me good praise and since I’ve joined I feel like I’ve made a difference to students’ lives, you can see during lockdown how hard it’s been.
“So putting a smile on their faces and helping inspire them to achieve their goals has been the main thing for me.”
Congratulations to all our new starters and we wish you every success at Hillsborough!
*CLICK HERE for full details of the Kickstart Scheme