News Tag: youth

When young people facing disadvantage told us what they want from employment support, they talked about changes to the whole system. It is clear that these young people need:  

• holistic support that responds to their situation by taking their needs and strengths into account 
• aligned services that work together to help them achieve their goals, rather than pulling in different directions 
• connected services with effective communication and coordination across organisations and sectors so that they don’t have to navigate everything for themselves 
• consistent support over time 

We are looking for partnership bids that tackle this issue.

To be successful, applications must be strong advocates of our mission, our ‘what works’ evidence-based approach and support our values.  

Useful information

If you are interested in Connected Futures funding, we recommend you read the following information to prepare for your application:

• Connected Futures Fund grant prospectus
• Word version of the online application form to help you prepare your proposal (please note your application must be made online)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• List of eligible local authorities
• Example case studies of systems change
• Examples of young people’s experiences of the youth employment system and our Youth Employment System Map

Applications open

Thursday 4 November 2021 

Applications close

Monday 17 January 2022 midnight

How do I apply?

Please apply online here

If you have a question, please call the Youth Futures Foundation on 020 7553 4539 or email: grants@youthfuturesfoundation.org.

In the early stages of the COVID crisis last year, five organisations pledged to tackle youth unemployment, especially for young people who face disadvantage in the labour market, by forming the ‘Youth Employment Group’ (YEG).

Since then, over 200 organisations have joined us as we campaign relentlessly for policymakers and politicians to do everything they can to ensure young people do not suffer the long-term ‘scarring’ effects witnessed after previous recessions.

We hope the economy recovers quickly in the coming months and creates more job opportunities, yet the evidence suggests otherwise. The crisis is still very real for young people in the middle of 2021, and even if the labour market begins to improve, the crisis will continue to affect young people in future jobs. What’s more, young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds will continue to face the greatest barriers to securing a sustainable job.

Of the one in seven young people not in education or employment, the large majority (two thirds of this group and nearly one in ten of all young people) are not actively looking for work. This figure has been virtually unchanged over the last thirty years, through recessions and recovery, with young people with health conditions, disabilities, caring responsibilities and multiple disadvantages all over-represented. The ‘crisis response’ has so far neglected these groups, and the risk is that in this recovery, as with previous ones, those furthest from work continue to be left behind.

Over the past few months, the YEG has been working together to address the challenges posed by the COVID crisis on young people’s prospects.  The YEG’s new paper, ‘Levelling Up for young people: Building an Opportunity Guarantee’ brings together this collaborative effort, establishing a three-stage approach which is broken down between now and early 2022.

We need your help to ensure our message is heard and our recommendations are considered. Support our work by sharing our paper on social media. Together we can make a real difference to young people’s lives.

Share the paper

Use our social media assets

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Comedian and radio personality Noreen Khan has urged anyone who is eligible to make sure they enter this year’s Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers (YAYA) awards.

Noreen, who will be the host of the glittering gala presentation night later this year that will celebrate those shortlisted for the awards, says the nominees last year were all inspirational.

Noreen hosted a virtual ceremony for 2020’s event, and says the stories of those nominated were all moving, with the winners and those shortlisted showing real bravery and determination.

Entries are open until July 19th for the awards scheme which celebrates the achievements of young people of South Asian heritage who were born or live and work in Yorkshire.

Aimed at socially-mobile young achievers who have overcome deprivation and disadvantage or have broken through traditional barriers to progress, the awards attracted scores of entries in its very first year, despite the difficulties created by the pandemic.

The YAYAS are organised by the Bradford-based QED Foundation, a registered charity which exists to improve the social and economic position of disadvantaged communities in partnership with public, private and civil society organisations, along with their headline partners, York St John University.

Noreen, a stand-up comedian and award-winning BBC Radio presenter, currently hosts a show on the BBC Asian Network on weekdays and listening figures show she regularly has one of the most listened-to Asian radio shows in the UK. 

She is looking forward to hosting a physical event this year after last year’s virtual ceremony.

She said: “I was overwhelmed by the courage and determination shown by all those that were nominated in last year’s YAYAs. The stories of these young people really moved me. 

“The YAYAs are open to any young person of South Asian heritage – Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi etc – who was born in, lives or works in Yorkshire. Many of those nominated overcame deprivation and are able to become real role models to others in their local communities.”

She said the awards were important as they give recognition to young people who often come from disadvantaged backgrounds and whose achievements may not normally be noticed or celebrated.

“The message these awards send out is a hugely positive one and one that really seems to resonate with these young people who want to show the world they are contributing in a really brilliant way,” she said.

“I’d encourage anyone who fits the criteria or knows someone who they feel deserves some recognition to put themselves forward. Being nominated or winning could do wonders to boost their personal development and careers, so absolutely nothing to lose here!”

Dr Mohammed Ali OBE, Chief Executive of QED, said: “We are delighted to have such a talented host as Noreen back for this year’s awards. We can’t wait to see her in person after last year’s online event.”

The prestigious gala awards night is due to take place at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford, with catering by My Lahore, on November 4.

The keynote speaker at this year’s event will be Professor Akbar Ahmed, a former Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK, and an author, poet, playwright, and filmmaker. He is Professor of International Relations and currently holds the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at the American University of Washington DC.

The award categories are Achievement in School or College; Health/Mental Health and Healthcare; The Arts and Creative Industries; the Private Sector; Media; Education; the Public Sector; the Not-for-Profit Sector; Achievement as a Young Entrepreneur; Sport; and Achievement in Overcoming Life Obstacles.

Details of how to enter the YAYAs can be found at: theyayas.org.uk or via: qed-uk.org. The closing date for nominations is Monday, July 19, 2021.

York St John University is the primary sponsor of the YAYAs.

Sponsors and supporters of the awards include: The National Science & Media Museum, Barnado’s, Mumtaz, the University of Bradford, GCHQ; Exa Networks, Bradford Council, Trinity College London, the University of York, Leeds City Council, NatWest; LOCALiQ, Cedar Court Hotels, My Lahore, Banner, BITE.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

• Images attached of Noreen, the YAYAs official logo, and Dr Mohammed Ali. 
• For more information about this release please email Damian Holmes at dholmes.ymp@gmail.com or on 07777 653932; or  Perry Austin-Clarke by e-mail at perry@yorkshiremediapartners.co.uk
• About QED: contact Dr Mohammed Ali OBE, Chief Executive by e-mail – m.ali@qed-uk.org; by phone – 01274 545000; or visit the website – www.qed-uk.org

The Institute for Employment Studies is leading a policy project on improving access to good work for young people as part of the Health Foundation’s five-year  Young People’s Future Health Inquiry, aimed at shaping the future youth policy agenda across health, employment, economic security and transport.

Please help support this work by sharing the Young People Quality of Work Survey with young people and partners in your networks:

https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=161848507016

Never as today, the quality of opportunities that young people have access to should be an integral aspect of youth employment policy. We need to ensure that as we recover from the pandemic there is a true focus on building back better for young people and their future, that no young person gets left behind, and that equality of opportunity and access is at the heart of recovery. To get this message across, young people’s voices need to be heard – loud and clear.

This short survey looks to give young people (16-25) in each of the four UK nations an opportunity to share their views and experiences. It asks them how they define and value  ‘good work’ , what impact Covid-19 has had on their confidence and views around good work, what can support or prevent them from accessing good work, whether they have had experience(s) of work to date, and what impact these have had on their health and wellbeing.

With your support we are hoping to reach as many young people as possible, particularly those whose voices often are not heard. We particularly encourage responses from young people from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQ+ communities, those with a disability or health condition, care leavers, young carers, single parents, those facing or at risk of homelessness, those in the youth justice system, and ex-offenders.

The deadline for the survey has been extended to 30 June. Please share with the young people you engage with.

Impetus share groundbreaking collection of reports investigating the link between education and employment outcomes.

Before COVID-19 hit, Impetus’ Youth Jobs Gap series had measured the gap in employment outcomes between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their better-off peers. The findings were stark – disadvantaged young people are twice as likely to not be in education, employment or training (NEET). COVID-19 will only exacerbate this gap.

At this time, when young people have been hardest hit in the labour market by the COVID-19 pandemic, this data offers a vital picture of the situation for young people who are NEET.

The findings have important implications for delivery organisations, funders, and policymakers.

• Finding 1: Young people with better qualifications are much less likely to be NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training)
• Finding 2: Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are 50% more likely to be NEET than their similarly qualified but better-off peers
• Finding 3: The variation between different local authorities within a region are much bigger than the variation between different regions
• Finding 4: Three quarters of NEET young people have been NEET for at least 12 months
• Finding 5: LEO data enables us to measure the success of interventions

Read more about the findings and access the policy reports. 

Read more and access the dashboards here

The Prince’s Trust require organisations/consortia with a track record of delivering employment support to young people.

The organisations will have strong connections to the health and social care sector, or be employers in the sector, in order to secure the experiences and job opportunities for young people to move into. The organisations will deliver pre-employment support in partnership with The Prince’s Trust with job outcomes which will support under-represented groups in accessing employment within the health and social care sector.

The opportunity is split into two lots: 

Lot 1:
Proposals which will support 100 – 200 young people per year, to secure and sustain work in the healthcare sector.

Lot 2: Proposals which will support 200+ young people per year, to secure and sustain work in the healthcare sector. 

To access this competition: 

Registered:
Login to https://suppliers.multiquote.com and view the opportunity CA8549.

Not registered:
Visit https://suppliers.multiquote.com then register and quote CA8549 as the reason for registration. 

Any queries please contact MultiQuote on 0151 482 9230.