New jobs for young people with Preston housing association

Community Gateway Association, which has around 6,500 tenants in the city, has joined with other housing organisations nationwide to create 800 new jobs on six-month placements.

The opportunities will go to people aged 16 to 24 who are receiving Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment.

For its part CGA is offering nine placements in a variety of roles including grounds maintenance, administration, estates services and community engagement.

The jobs pay national minimum wage for the duration of the placements.

Claire Smith, CGA's head of culture and engagement said: "Gateway is proud of its record of supporting people into work and I am delighted we will be giving opportunities to local young people to gain skills and perhaps begin a lifelong career in housing.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Kickstart scheme in July to find hundreds of thousands of work placements in the hope they might lead on to full-time employment.

CGA says it has been working hard with a consortium of other housing organisations, led by the Clarion Housing Group, to form the Kickstart Housing Partnership. By the end of the programme the partnership hopes to increase the opportunities from 800 to more than 1,000.

The company also says its employability team will offer practical support to all applicants and also further in-work training and mentoring throughout.

For further information email the team at [email protected] or call 0800 953 0213.

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