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Education and training

Port of London Authority and Forth Ports kickstart river careers

10 February 2021

The Port of London Authority (PLA) and Forth Ports are taking part in a UK government paid work placement scheme, launched last year in response to the growing number of unemployed young people as a result of the pandemic

Over 30 unemployed young people aged 16 to 24 are set to join the PLA in Gravesend and Forth Ports, including Tilbury Docks, for a range of administrative and operational roles in paid six-month traineeships starting in spring 2021, as part of the government's £2 billion Kickstart work programme.

Kickstart applicants, who must have been on Universal Credit for six months, are referred to the PLA and Forth Ports by Job Centre Plus. The government pays the minimum wage for the roles offered, based on a maximum 25-hour week, but a PLA spokesman said that the PLA is topping this up to a living wage.

Glenn Witham, HR director at the PLA, said: 'With the pandemic seriously affecting young people's job prospects, we want to do our bit by helping them develop the skills and confidence to secure full-time employment. The majority of our recent apprentices have gone on to greater things with us and we hope that will be the case for our new Kickstart trainees too.'

Jackie Anderson, group HR manager at Forth Ports, said: 'This is not an easy time for people looking to start a career. Kickstart is great new way of reaching out to even more young people. Hopefully it will be a steppingstone for other opportunities for them with us, such as an apprenticeship, or even a permanent job.

'Kickstart is great new way of reaching out to even more young people. Hopefully it will be a steppingstone for other opportunities for them with us, such as an apprenticeship, or even a permanent job.'

 


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