Up to 300 new jobs are to be created by the EG Group as part of the Government’s Kickstart scheme to improve opportunities for young people.

The roles will provide applicants with an opportunity to gain work experience during a six-month placement at either EG Group’s food service brands, including Greggs, Starbucks, KFC, Burger King, and Subway, at the filling stations it runs or at the EG Group head office in Blackburn.

EG Group says it will pay ‘Kickstarters’ in line with ‘current pay levels’ and people will have the opportunity to apply for permanent roles at the end of the six-month placement.

Applicants will also be offered incentives for involvement in the scheme, including monetary awards those who complete the full six months and a further award once they move into a permanent role and the probationary period completes.

Donna Whittaker, head of HR and payroll UK for EG Group, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in the Government’s Kickstart scheme. Young people are often the ones who have experienced the most significant consequences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and so we are very pleased to be able to play a role in helping young people get back on their feet.

“By opening up such a large number of employment opportunities and providing hands-on mentorship and support throughout, EG Group is demonstrating its long-standing commitment to developing talent and giving back to the communities which we operate within.”

During the six-month placement, Kickstarters will be mentored by a manager and provided with the opportunity to complete modules to improve their workplace skills, including communication, confidence and motivation, letter writing and interview techniques.

After that the hope is they will move into a full-time position.

The Kickstart scheme is designed to provide opportunities to young people who are on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The scheme helps sectors such as hospitality ‘with the support they need after having been affected by the coronavirus pandemic’.