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Kick Start

The Kickstart Scheme is a 6 month paid job with a local employer, funded by the Government. It provides a fully funded opportunity for you to get experience of working in one of the UK’s most exciting companies.

The Kickstart Scheme was announced by the Chancellor in the Summer, and expects to offer hundreds of thousands of job opportunities over the next few years. A £2 billion pot is available to fully fund exciting positions with businesses across the UK.

Jobs from the Kickstart Scheme will be open to people 16-24 years old, who are claiming Universal Credit, and are at risk of long term unemployment. If you have a work coach they will talk to you about the Kickstart Scheme and whether it’s right for you. The first jobs should be available from November, so not long to wait.

Applications from employers are now underway, and we expect to have roles on offer in many different types of businesses, and across England, Scotland and Wales.

Talk to your work coach to find out more. If you don’t have a work coach, find out more about your career options

5 transferable skills that employers are looking for

 

Young man at work putting up post it notes

Transferable skills can make you really stand out to employers, even if you don’t have specific experience in their industry. If you don’t have any previous work experience, these can be gained from also from hobbies, voluntary work or even playing sport. If you can normally get out of doing the dishes, you’ve inadvertently been practising your influencing skills!

You are likely to have a whole set of valuable skills you can take with you from one job to another.

It’s worth knowing what skills are most wanted by employers so you can highlight them in upcoming job applications. Take a look at some of the top skills employers are looking for (according to LinkedIn’s 2019 survey (external website):

1. Creativity

Whether you come up with a new, inventive idea or find a solution to a difficult problem, thinking outside of the box and displaying creativity can make a real difference in many jobs.

2. People Skills

Convincing others and listening well are really valuable, particularly in customer service and sales jobs.

Working as a team not only drives greater productivity for the business, but it also builds healthy and supportive relationships to make it a great place to work.

3. Adaptability

Being adaptable means you are able to respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, and other processes at work. It’s a good way to show you’re flexible and eager to learn.

4. Leadership

Being someone who can coach, empower and support those around you is a great skill in the workplace. It helps you get the best out of the team you are working in.

5. Time management

Being able to monitor your workload and meet deadlines is an important skill in any job, and it helps you make the most of your time to accomplish ,more in shorter periods.

When you next apply for a job, start by making a list of all ways you’ve built up transferable skills, and explain how you have used them in your CV or job application. You might just find a new career is closer than you think.

Make sure to consider applying for jobs in critical industries (external website) which are expanding right now such as logistics, food retail, and agriculture. Many vacancies require little or no experience with training on the job.

The National Careers Service can also help you consider jobs or careers that could fit your transferable skills by using their interactive checker (external website) and if you’re looking to brush up some digital or numeracy skills, then check out the free online bite-sized courses (external website) at the Skills Toolkit.

LinkedIn and Microsoft are offering free online learning (external website) for a range of jobs in demand – including programmers, IT support, design and customer representatives.

The Google Digital Garage has lots of courses (external website) to help you develop your career skills, including CV writing, project management and wellbeing.

Latest Jobs

Latest jobs

This page lists some of the national recruitment exercises that DWP are aware of. There are currently vacancies in a wide range of sectors, including the NHS, care, retail, food production and logistics.

Scroll down the page to see the list of vacancies, or choose a sector from the list:
Public Sector
NHS and social care
Facilities management
Food production
Logistics
Retail
Security
Agriculture
Finance and banking
Hospitality
Construction
Armed Forces
Recruitment agencies and job sites

Check our local support pages too for information about jobs in your area, and you’ll also find thousands of jobs on the Find a job (external website) service.

It’s important to stay safe when looking for work and to avoid the scams and scammers – so be careful before giving away personal information. There’s some great advice at saferjobs.com (external website).


Public Sector

The Department for Work and Pensions is recruiting for people to work in Jobcentres and Service Centres. These roles include work coaches helping people into work. The next vacancies should be available in early September – find out more about work coach jobs.


NHS and Social Care

We have extra advice about working in social care jobs, including what the different roles can be like, and how your skills could make you perfect for a job in this sector.

NHS England & Wales
There are thousands of vacancies accessible in England and Wales – you’ll find them at NHS Jobs or going directly to the hospital or Trust website.

The Welsh Government has also developed a Covid-19 job hub (external website) for roles in Health and Social Care across Wales.

NHS Scotland currently has vacancies on their NHS Jobs Scotland website (external website).

Barchester Health Care is recruiting nationwide. They also welcome volunteers. Current jobs can be found on the Barchester Health Care website (external website).

Bluebird Care (external website) has several vacancies in a variety of roles. They are looking for people who are out of work, or on reduced hours and offer flexibility with short term and long term employment opportunities.

Bupa has vacancies on Find a job and further information is available on Bupa’s website (external website).

Lloyds Pharmacy is on the hunt for ‘healthcare heroes’ to boost frontline services in its 1,400 pharmacies up and down the country. Apply at McKesson Jobs or check out other pharmacy roles on Find a job (external website.

Community Integrated Care (external website) support people who have learning disabilities, autism, mental health concerns or dementia with their daily routines. Take a look at their vacancies or search for roles in care on Find a job (external website).

Care UK is currently recruiting nationwide. Experience is not necessary as they offer learning and development programmes. Vacancies can be found on the Care UK website (external website).

Newcross Healthcare Solutions has introduced a new fast-track recruitment process which gives candidates the opportunity to go from application to on-shift in just 48 hours. Opportunities can be found on Find a job (external website) or on the Newcross Healthcare Solutions website (external website).

HC One has vacancies in a range of roles such as nursing, housekeeping, maintenance and catering nationwide. Vacancies can be found on the HC One website (external website) and Find a job (external website).

For more healthcare jobs, visit Find a job(external website).


Facilities management

Serco employs people supporting government and other public service providers. They currently have vacancies across the UK ranging from cleaners to catering staff to engineers. To apply visit Serco’s website (external website).

Atalian Service is recruiting cleaning operatives across the UK with a range of employers such as Aldi, Argos, COOP, GWR, M&S, Tesco and Waitrose. Apply on via Atalian Service’s website (external website) or check out other cleaning jobs on Find a job.

The Compass Group (external website)Ocs Jobs (external website) and Sodexo (external website) have several jobs available supporting the NHS and in other key sectors including cleaning and customer service roles. For further customer service jobs take a look at Find a job (external website).

Elior UK are recruiting temporary and fixed term jobs at sites that are remaining open to support key workers. Roles include catering, health, care and cleaning. Apply on Elior UK’s website (external website) or find other catering jobs on Find a job (external website).


Food production

Staffline is offering a nationwide recruitment campaign to support the UK’s essential food production service. Employers include 2Sisters, Hovis, Karro and CSM Bakery solutions, apply on Feed the Nation (external website).

Tulip (external website) is offering temporary jobs for production operatives and other key roles.

Poultry processor Moy Park (external website) is looking for factory staff at sites across the UK. See what’s available on Moy Park’s website (external website)

For more food production jobs, search Find a job (external website).


Logistics

Find out more about working in logistics (external website), including busting some myths about the sector.

Amazon is recruiting more than 20,000 seasonal workers and expect to have appointed 10,000 permanent roles in sites across the UK this year. A huge variety of roles are available in their fulfilment centres and other locations. You can find the vacancies on the Find a Job service (external website), or by picking your local centre from this list:

Driver Hire is the UK’s largest specialist logistics industry recruiter with over 100 offices, and job opportunities nationwide. They offer temporary and permanent driving jobs, non-driving work and Driver CPC training. Visit Driver Hire Driver’s website (external website) for more information.

Supply Chain Online (external website) has jobs in Operations, Procurement, Purchasing, Sales & Business Development, Supply Chain, Transport, Warehouse, Import & Export, Inventory Manager, Logistics.

For more logistics jobs, visit Find a job (external website).


Retail

Amazon has positions available in its Fulfilment Centre sites. To apply visit Amazon’s website (external website).

Aldi has vacancies across the UK in stores, logistics, and head office. To apply visit Aldi’s recruitment website (external website).

Lidl has 4 week fixed term contracts available at some locations. Applications can be made on Lidl’s website (external website).

Morrisons (external website) is currently looking for people to join them in a range of temporary roles, including in stores and logistics. 

Sainsbury’s (external website) offering positions UK wide and has created a specific section, under the banner of “feeding the nation”, for those laid off from other employers to offer fixed term contracts. Applications can be made on Sainsbury’s website (external website).

Tesco has vacancies across the UK. Check out Tesco’s website (external website).

The Charity Retail Association (CRA) has a Volunteer Matching Service portal to link volunteers to charity retail opportunities near to them. As charity shops reopen there is a huge shortage of volunteers.

For more retail jobs, visit Find a job (external website).


Security

Total Security has vacancies across the UK. Apply online on Total Security’s website.

For more security jobs, visit Find a job (external website).


Agriculture

We have extra advice about working in agricultural jobs, including what different jobs can be like, and how to find vacancies.

The Association of Labour Providers(external website) has listed opportunities for seasonal labour to help pick British crops on their website. 

For more agricultural jobs, visit Find a job (external website).


Finance and banking

Aviva (external website) is recruiting for various roles in finance and banking.

There are also various roles available across the UK in the following banks:

For more banking jobs visit Find a job (external website).


Hospitality

The Caterer is a leading multimedia brand for the UK hospitality industry with several vacancies. Visit the Caterer’s website (external website) for more information.

Leisure Jobs (external website) currently has jobs in the UK and abroad advertised on their website, mainly in hospitality and tourism.  

Jobsite (external website) has catering jobs in the UK and abroad.

Hospitality Jobs UK (external website)advertises roles across the UK. They work closely with clients, big and small from hotels, pubs & bars, contract catering, casual dining, restaurants, leisure and coffee shops.

For more hospitality jobs visit Find a job (external website).


Construction

Careers in Construction (external website) are currently advertising roles across the UK on their website.

The Construction Job is a specialist construction jobsite with roles in the UK and worldwide. Visit the Construction Job website (external website) for more information.

Totaljobs is currently advertising construction jobs across a wide range of roles on the Totaljobs website (external website).

Constructor (external website) is advertising for different roles in construction.


Armed Forces

Actively recruiting for full time regular service and part time reserves. Recruit selection centres have now re-opened with appropriate COVID19 social distancing measures in place. Applications are via the service websites:


Recruitment agencies and job sites

Adecco (external website)
The world’s leading HR solutions partner and recruit for a wide variety of roles, with jobs advertised across the UK.

Evenbreak (external website)
Helping talented disabled candidates and inclusive employers find each other, with vacancies advertised

REED (external website)
The UK’s number 1 job site, reed.co.uk advertises 1,000s of vacancies on behalf of employers and recruitment agencies who are looking for staff.


We try to keep this vacancy information up to date. If you spot anything we’re missing, or something we need to change, please email us.

If you’re an employer looking to advertise, then add your vacancy to the Find a job service (external website).

Other places to try

We have extra information for your part of the country – including local recruitments and other opportunities. Check the local support pages for your area, and make sure you also follow your local Jobcentre Plus twitter account (external website).

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