A young Hull entrepreneur is aiming to transform his fast-growing business with the Kickstart scheme – taking his company from just four to 35 employees overnight.
Entertainment news business unCrazed is working with Hull City Council to recruit 31 young people through Kickstart as it embarks on an ambitious expansion strategy.
Kallum Green founded the business three years ago and plans to make all of the Kickstart recruits full-time employees at the end of their six-month placement.
He says: “unCrazed is growing rapidly and we have big ambitions. The new Kickstart scheme gives us the opportunity to grow exponentially.
“This is an incredible opportunity for the business and for the young people we recruit. When their six-month placement comes to an end, the goal is to offer them permanent positions if they want them.
“This is a chance to explore new opportunities and it wouldn’t have been possible without Kickstart. It is ambitious but we have a clear strategy and the potential to go even further.”
unCrazed currently has offices on the High Street in Hull but is already in the process of purchasing a new building in Witham to accommodate the planned expansion.
The business delivers celebrity entertainment news, covering all aspects of popular culture and regularly interviews A-list stars to provide its readers with exclusive content.
Hull City Council’s Employment Hub has already secured more than 400 new opportunities for local young people, under the government’s national Kickstart scheme, which creates fully-funded, six-month placements for 25 hours per week in a wide variety of businesses and roles. The scheme is open anyone on Universal Credit aged between 16 and 24-years-old.
unCrazed has already recruited 10 of the 31 placements and Kallum says he has been impressed by the standard of applicants. He explains: “I expected most of the applicants to be people who were just desperate for work but that hasn’t been the case.
“Most that have applied have had a real interest in this industry and I’ve been surprised by the amount of passion and the level of talent we have seen.”
Kallum worked with the team at Hull City Council’s Employment Hub to develop the application to the Kickstart programme and says the process has been “painless”.
He adds: “When I first heard about the Kickstart scheme I thought we’d be too small and wouldn’t be eligible. However, Hull City Council encouraged me to go for it and they have been on hand to answer any questions and provide all the help I’ve needed.
“I spent two months planning this and making sure it would be sustainable, the people behind the scheme have been amazing.
“This is the greatest opportunity for a business and it will be truly transformational for us.”
Hull City Council is calling for more businesses to get involved and take advantage of the scheme. Assistant Director for Economic Development and Regeneration, Alex Codd, said: “unCrazed is a fantastic example of how businesses can benefit from the Kickstart programme.
“Not only does this create some incredible opportunities for young people in the city to gain valuable work experience and new jobs, it also allows businesses to explore new ideas or fulfil ambitions.
“We have a wealth of young talent in Hull and this is a great way for businesses to tap into that potential.”
To learn more about the Employment Hub and the Kickstart scheme, contact the team direct at employmentinclusionteam@hullcc.gov.uk for the kickstart scheme or employmenthub@hullcc.gov.uk for employability support.
