Our latest thinking and practice from our work with councils, providers and partnerships across the UK on unlocking local employment systems for young people.
Tackling local youth unemployment is challenging. It brings a level of complexity in how we understand how to reengage young people
Hearing the lived experience of these young people has been humbling and the barriers they face and poses questions about how can we make employment pathways simpler and accessible to all?
Technologically – the young person applying for over 1000 jobs online and getting no response or progress as they cannot get through the algorithm.
Mentally – the mental overload and stress faced by a young person through different circumstances and not having the capacity or confidence to believe they could have a positive future.
Accessibly – this is not just about transport but the lack of opportunities that young people have access to build their skills and confidence outside of education as well as the language and terms we use in the system. And importantly how equitable is it structured?
Practically – the lack of career advice, social networks, access to mentors and preparedness for opportunities during and post transitions.
What we have learned is that putting young people in control, working with networks beyond the usual suspects and building a relational approach to working across boundaries and funding really helps young people to realise their aspirations.
This is about moving beyond panels and advisory groups and giving young people the time, the fair pay and training to help them design what works for them.
In Aberdeen we were commissioned to work intensively with 19 young parents over a 12-week engagement programme involving workshops, surveys, group discussions and co-design activities. The research explored barriers relating to childcare, education, confidence, finances and employment shaping a new young-parent employability model.
Working with peer researchers, we helped Gateshead College to understand how financial insecurity affects learners’ ability to access, participate in and succeed in further education. We helped to identify practical ways the College could reduce these barriers. We delivered a mixed-methods, participatory study involving 10 trained peer researchers, 97 learner interviews, engaging 863 learners, and analysis of institutional data. The research produced a comprehensive evidence base and recommendations for improving learner support and educational outcomes.
Peer research and youth led design builds skills, confidence and hope in young people whilst making the system work better for them.
Mental health is a real challenge for young people and working with Mental Health Foundation we explored how poor mental health influences young people’s transition from school into further education, training and sustainable employment, and to identify opportunities for earlier intervention. Using a participatory and trauma-informed approach, the study is generating evidence on the interaction between mental health, education and employment pathways to better shape provision.
Our recent learning for Children in Need and McDonalds on the role of detached youth work on improving access to employment pathways and reducing crime is being showcased next month. We assessed the effectiveness of the Makin’ It programme, which connects youth organisations with McDonald’s restaurants to engage and support young people in community settings across the UK. The evaluation demonstrated improvements in youth engagement, employability opportunities, confidence, community safety and partnership working.
Using expertise and wider networks outside the system brings new perspectives, more resources and how connecting services together brings mutual benefits for young people and providers.
Flourishing Futures in Brent has built a relational model by developing the skills of young people to act as ambassadors and connectors to the employment system in Brent. Funded through Youth Future Foundation, Flourishing Futures has led to greater connections and relationships across the housing, council and employers at a strategic level. But at its heart created social networks to help young people help their peers develop confidence, skills and in some cases hand holding to get them to take up opportunities on their doorstep.
Relational approaches take time but they build the foundations for change, rebuilding and bridging the gaps in employment and education pathways we don’t know and don’t see.
Our learning from evaluating the impact of these types of interventions has been equally powerful in how we measure progress and outcomes that are led, designed and in some cases delivered by young people. Technology can play a part as can better understanding the local ecology of support beyond the usual and improving referral and access.
Small tweaks can be equally important as more funding to improve the impact of youth employment provision.
If you would like to find out more about our work and how we can support you and your work with young people in the area get in touch.
