A group of young people who took part in a housing association’s unemployment scheme visited the Houses of Parliament this week, where they were hosted by the Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression, Mims Davies.

The event offered the young people – who secured paid six-month placements through the Kickstart Scheme as part of the Kickstart Housing Partnership led by Clarion Housing Group and who have since secured permanent employment – a chance to see inside Westminster and share their experiences of participating in the government-funded programme.

Through the Kickstart Housing Partnership, which was launched in 2021 to tackle youth unemployment caused by the pandemic, 545 young people were supported into Kickstart placements in organisations nationwide. Of these, 130 were employed by Clarion directly, in roles from marketing and customer services to IT and Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group.

The wraparound employability support and training provided by Clarion Futures mentors helped each participant to develop future-proof skills and invaluable work experience, as well as helping them identify routes to progression and career development.

More than 60% of those who took part in the scheme across the partnership progressed into permanent roles, apprenticeships or further education.

Led by Clarion, the Kickstart Housing Partnership comprised 84 organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors, with 58 from the housing sector, including Southern Housing (formerly Optivo), Peabody and Unity Housing Association.

Mims Davies MP said: “Kickstart helped thousands of young people progress and get on the career ladder. I am incredibly proud of the scheme’s success and the individual achievements it paved the way for, and so it was a pleasure to host some of the young people supported into work by the Housing Partnership at Parliament to hear some of those inspiring stories.

“New routes to work are created when government and employers join up, as demonstrated by Clarion directly employing over 100 Kickstarters. This shining example shows how investing in our young people – boosting their skills and confidence – sets up individuals, as well as business, for lasting success.”

Clare Miller, Chief Executive of Clarion, said: “These Kickstarters are just a handful of the talented young people employed through the Scheme who have shown an incredible level of hard work, dedication and ambition throughout their placements and into their new careers. Watching their progression and seeing them seize opportunities and thrive has been inspiring and we are so proud of all they have achieved.

“At Clarion, we know that employment is key to empowering young people to build stable foundations for fulfilling lives, so we are proud to have led the Kickstart Housing Partnership. Working with our partners, we have helped more than 500 young people take their first step towards a rewarding career. This has been a great example of government and the housing sector working together to meet a common goal.”

Hemraj Kular, 24, joined Clarion’s marketing team through Kickstart and within a few months was managing the Instagram channel and is now a permanent member of the team.

Hemraj said: “The Kickstart Scheme has given me so many brilliant opportunities and opened many doors, while also making sure I received the support needed to successfully set me on my career path. The support from my team and mentors really built my confidence, developed my skills, and gave me some really valuable experiences, as well as allowing me to showcase my knowledge and talents. All this helped me take the next step and turn my placement into a permanent role.

“The visit to parliament has been a fantastic opportunity to talk about my personal experiences and hear that of my fellow Kickstarters.”