Electrovision provides a varied range of products to customers all over the UK and the rest of the world. Through the pandemic, the business has supplied vital PPE to medical professionals and medical equipment such as wheelchairs to those who need it.
Through the pandemic, their products were in high demand and they used the Kickstart scheme to boost their workforce and invest in local young people.
Paul Ledwith, Legal Counsel at Electrovision, explained: “The timing of the kickstart scheme was great for us as a business. We supply vital equipment to the NHS and local health authorities and so our order time scales are pretty short.
“With the Suez Canal blocked and rising container prices we’ve been getting half the stock that we usually get, so we needed to make the most of the stock we had. The Kickstarters have allowed us to be a lot quicker to refresh our stock and get to the levels we needed to be at.”
Electrovision took on 5 young people using the Kickstart Scheme, where unemployed young people can join a business and have their NMW salary covered up to 25 hours, National Insurance employer contributions paid and much more. By using the scheme, Electrovision were able to get the support they needed to distribute vital medical equipment.
Paul added: “If people need wheelchairs etc and then lack of provision can cause real hardship – with the Kickstarters help we’ve been able to keep our suppliers more than happy.
“The young people we hired helped us to make sure the NHS had access to the stock they so desperately need too and gave us a labour boost in terms of productivity which was greatly appreciated in these difficult times.”
Electrovision opted to use St Helens Chamber as their gateway organisation to apply for the Kickstart scheme. This meant that theChamber were able to take all the hassle out of the application and dealt with advertising the vacancy, payroll, liaising with the DWP, training and much more on behalf of the busy business.
Paul explained: “The support from the Chamber was first class. We are really busy and a few of us take on a variety of roles, so our time is often really limited. I could see the benefits of the Kickstart scheme and was really keen to do it, so I approached the Chamber to take advantage of their support packages.
“Aaron and the Chamber as a whole made the process really easy and I will be forever grateful for that. Every step of the way Aaron was able to let us know what was needed and guided us through the process. The support has been really appreciated.”
The Kickstart Scheme has a range of benefits to both businesses and local unemployed young people, giving businesses support through these difficult times and young people a chance to get valuable experience of the workplace.
Paul commented: “I can’t speak highly enough about the scheme, as a business we get new staff and the Kickstarters are young and quick to pick up new skills. For the Kickstarter themselves they get a taste of the workplace. 3 of the 5 young people we recruited had never been employed before, so it is giving them a great introduction into what an 8-5 job is really like.
“We’re not alone in these issues with supply chain as a business and the impact of Covid so the fact we’ve been able to do so well is a huge credit to them.”
As part of the Advanced package of support offered by the Chamber to businesses recruiting through
Kickstart,St Helens Chamber delivered a Sector-Based Work Academy for shortlisted candidates to help prepare them for what to expect from the role. The short training programme equipped the candidates with the skills they would need for a busy warehousing role and enabled them to gain a Level 2 qualification.
Paul added: “The work academy the Chamber held before sending the candidates to us really helped and they arrived with the skills they needed to hit the ground running in the warehouse so they’ve settled in really well.
“As the Kickstarters have settled in we’ve actually been able to mould their roles to fit their specialities – and some have also been able to support us with some administrative work. As a business we’re quite flexible and are keen on helping people get the most from their role, so its been great to be able to encourage the Kickstarters to get involved in roles across the business.”
The Kickstart Scheme has been such a success for Electrovision, they are taking on more candidates in the coming months to further enhance their workforce.
The scheme is still open for businesses to apply and St Helens Chamber can help you every step of the way with packages to suit your business’ needs.
To find out more about the Kickstart Scheme and how it can benefit your business, contact us on 01744 742091 or email kickstart@sthelenschamber.com
