Lowmac’s Kickstarter’s Stories

Develop | Lowmac’s Kickstarter’s Stories

A constant theme of 2021 has been the call from UK industry identifying skill shortages in the labour market. Not all job roles however require entry level skills, some simply need a candidate to follow instructions and adhere to safe working practices, such is the case in the waste and recycling industry where non-skilled entry level roles are available.

Although non-skilled, these roles require employers to give people an opportunity and for young people this requires an investment in training, mentoring and supervision. This is where the Government Kickstart scheme comes in; the Kickstart scheme aims to help young people aged between 16 and 24 into the workplace after long periods of unemployment. Employers supported by the scheme invest in workplace training, safety training and equipment. This along with ongoing supervision allows them to focus on identifying and developing young talent over the 6-month period of the placement. Here at Lowmac Waste & Recycling, we are proud to be part of the Kickstart Initiative, working with our Gateway partner North Ayrshire Council to support our local community.

To date Lowmac have offered 35 placements and our experience has been largely a positive one. Those we’ve brought on board have been keen to learn and willing to prove themselves. Waste and Recycling allows a broad range of roles and learning in a vital sector. The work is hard and challenging but those Kick-starters that have remained with Lowmac after their placement ended are carving out careers in driving HGV vehicles, operating large mobile plant, social media, communication, and digital marketing but most importantly for our industry sector, waste management.

Develop | Lowmac’s Kickstarter’s Stories

Providing an opportunity is only the first step, it is the investment in ongoing training and development that’s the key.

Take Brandon for example, he applied to be an office clerical assistant, but it was clear from his interview that his interests lay in graphics, photography, and social media. We were so impressed we brought him on board into a role we hadn’t previously considered, social media and Digital Marketing. On completing his 6 months on the kickstart scheme Brandon took up a permanent role with Lowmac and while continuing with social media, he also provides IT support during our transition to a digital waste management system. His next step will be a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship.

Many of the Kickstart roles focus on the picking line, where our people separate recyclates from mixed waste. This is an entry level role into the waste industry but also for those with a career in waste management in mind. Importantly however it also provides opportunity for other career paths. Most recently 2 Kick-starters have taken up full time roles and apprenticeships in driving goods vehicles. Their work ethic paid off and they joined an existing programme at Lowmac to develop drivers from within the business. We are pleased to say that our Kick-starters are replacing 2 young men that have recently completed their apprenticeship and moved onto their own lorries. Given the driver shortage in the UK this could be considered as fortunate for Lowmac. We however prefer to think of it as forward planning, workforce investment, training, and support.

An integrated training programme from induction onwards provides safe and continuous development for all Lowmac employees and is key for any forward-thinking company.