Since the start of the new year the YES Project has been busy working hard to support young people into Employment, Education and Training.
Functional Skills
We have continued to provide access to Functional Skills in partnership with Babington Academy and now have a steady referral stream being sent over every month. Currently there are 11 young people studying for their functional skills qualifications. This opportunity gives young people the chance to gain a qualification which is equivalent to GCSE grade C in English and Maths, which will support them with obtaining employment.
We have also been providing laptops when possible, to participants in need of them to access functional skills. This ensures that anybody experiencing any form of digital poverty has not been left behind and can still access the available support. We will also be running a homework club in the upcoming quarter so we can further support and encourage participants with their online studies. This will also give them a chance to meet other participants on the same course.
Partnership with Pathways
We have partnered with Pathways to provide expert advice and guidance to NEET young people about accessing further and higher education. Over the last few months, we worked together to deliver several informative sessions to ensure young people are supported in their journey back to education. Topics have included a myth busting session about higher and further education, different routes into higher education and the support and help available at college and university.
Future topics include:
What further education options are out there
Introduction to student finance
Student Q&A session
Virtual Campus Tours
Team Challenge
Young People across the YES and Making Moves Project supported New Parks Community Hub by planting flowers and bedding plants. Once in full bloom the flowers will brighten up the hubs outdoor space.
The day started by clearing hedges, weeds and litter from a small area outside the entrance. Once cleared the young people planted over 90 bedding plants which included daffodils, Violas, primroses and Narcissus which should hopefully continue to bloom each year. A service user has already volunteered to look after and maintain the plants! Thank you to our young people for coming out and volunteering despite the weather.
We are looking to continue support the hub over the coming months by delivering employability programmes for NEET young people in the area.
Employability Support
We have continued to provide 1:1 employability support to young people on the project and across the project’s delivery partners. We have supported young people with their CV`s, job applications, cover letters, improving their interview skills and conducting mock interviews.
Get Stuff Done has continued to run weekly and participants have dropped by to seek employability support and to look for volunteering opportunities.
Personal Development Activities
YES Participants have continued to access Quarantine Cooks, improving their confidence and cooking skills. The YES Project Development Officer promoted more independence with all Quarantine Cooks participants by supplying food vouchers for them rather than delivering the ingredients to the front door. As a result of this, participants have been encouraged to get out of the house and head to the supermarket to purchase their own ingredients, promoting independence.
Participants on YES can freely access support and activities from any of the seven other YES delivery partners. This means participants have been able to access bespoke art parks, weekly art sessions, Health and Wellbeing course and Princes Trust programmes including Get Started With Film and TV
YES Steering Group
On the YES Project, we have created a new steering group made up of our business volunteers who will support the growth and development of the project. The steering group is made up volunteers from Rock Kitchen Harris, Knights plc and Hinckley And Rugby Building Society.
Over the next 6 months the group will:
- Provide advice and guidance on the current YES project offer and how it can be adapted to ensure young people are gaining valuable employability skills.
- Identify key employability skills and how we can support young people to gain these skills while on the project.
- Discuss and provide guidance on how businesses can work with the project to help young people be more successful in gaining employment as lockdown restrictions ease.
- Advise YES staff on how they can facilitate more business member engagement with the project and identify new ways of working together.
- Co - create programmes and activities that will ensure young people are successful in their transition into the workplace.
Requests
In the next coming months, we would like our business members to support us by:
- Notifying us when entry level vacancies become available at your organisation that are suitable for NEET young people.
- Supporting the delivery of our employability programmes or sessions. This includes delivering workshops, participating in mock interviews, career talks etc.
- Delivering World of Work Tours – either virtually or in person (small groups).
- Offering Work Placements.
If you would liked to be involved in the YES Project, please contact the YES Project