Skills and work
Confidence, skills and a route into learning or work for young people aged 16 to 25.
The gap nobody fills
Plenty of young people want to work. What nobody has shown them is how a CV should read, what an interviewer is really asking, or what to do on day one when something doesn't make sense.
We build confidence first, then connect young people to our network of employers and organisations for placements, volunteering and interview practice. We also help them find their way to Youth Hubs, training and apprenticeships, so they get the full benefit of the government's Youth Guarantee, which aims to give every 18 to 21 year old in England a route into learning, training or work.
This work sits in the Next steps (16 to 18) and Futures (18 to 25) parts of our pathway, with a particular focus on young people who are not in education, employment or training. The groundwork starts earlier, though: plenty of 11 to 16 year olds volunteer with us, and some come to us just to help.
What we help with
- CVs and applications that sound like you, not a template
- Practice interviews with honest, kind feedback
- Work placements and volunteering
- Finding your way to Youth Hubs, training and apprenticeships
- Using AI tools sensibly and honestly for applications and study
- Digital skills for work and everyday life
- What to do when something goes wrong at work, rather than walking out
- Sessions for young women, and support planned around young people with SEND
A track record to build on
In 2023 to 2024 more than 100 young people came through our employability programme, opening up access to employability, education and training opportunities.
Confidence runs through all of it. A young person with a perfect CV who can't look up in an interview won't get the job. So we build confidence the way it actually grows: through sport, through a mentor who believes in them, and through being asked their opinion and seeing it matter. When our young people raised money for the Morocco earthquake appeal, they planned and ran it themselves, and it showed.
Other ways in
Most young people use more than one. For the full picture, head back to What we do in the menu at the top.
Employers: open a door
A work placement, a practice interview afternoon or a half-hour talk about your industry. It takes very little of your time and can change what a young person believes is possible for them.