Cornwall 15-24 year olds not in work, education or training urged to take advantage of £1.1m to develop skills and progress onto a range of positive outcomes that include employment, education, apprenticeships and traineeships

European Social Funding has invested in a programme of support for young people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to get into work, education and training.  The investment is part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme. This project has now been extended to March 2019.

The Skills for Young People project which is open to participants aged 15-24 who are at risk of or,  are already, not in education, employment or training (NEET). The programme focuses on those who are at risk of social exclusion and young people from marginalised communities.

The project was awarded in September 2016 to CSW Group who specialise in helping young people to move on in work, life and education. The project is delivered through a skilled subcontractor network supporting young people from priority groups to move closer to employment or further learning in line with Local Enterprise Partnership priorities.  Skills for Young People has so far helped 546 learners to achieve 819 new qualifications.

15-24 year olds who are NEET or at risk of being NEET can access this service locally and select from a wide range of training to build confidence, resilience and learn how to overcome personal barriers.

Paul Hobson, Chief Executive of CSW said, “We are delighted that the Education & Skills Funding Agency are entrusting CSW Group to continue to positively impact young people in Cornwall. As an organisation that champions access to high quality advice and guidance, especially to those from marginalised backgrounds, we are extremely pleased to continue our work and support more young people to overcome barriers and move into employment or further learning. Over the past twenty years CSW has raised the aspirations of thousands of individuals, enabling them to build a brighter future. I would urge any 15-24 year old NEETs to contact us today and gain some support.”

Good News Story:

Sharina found herself unemployed and had started looking for a long term career in a business and admin role within healthcare. Sharina enrolled on Skills For Young People Work Skills (level 1), which involved researching healthcare careers, completing values assessments and ensuring her CV was appropriate for healthcare careers. She also gained a range of other qualifications, such as Infection Control (BTEC level 2), Manual Handling and Basic First Aid. She was supported to prepare for interviews, was able to practice her interview skills and also had the opportunity to engage with a range of local employers recruiting in Healthcare. Following valuable one-to-one support, Sharina went on to undertake a successful week of business admin work experience and progressed on to an apprenticeship with Dynamo Healthcare Training. Sharina said, “I loved being on the course and met some lovely people, my course tutor was extremely helpful and made each lesson fun and exciting. I would recommend to anyone who is struggling to find work I hope to eventually progress within Dynamo into a supervisory or management role.”

Anyone wishing to find out more or access the Skills for Young People programme to enhance their career should contact SkillsforYoungPeople@cswgroup.co.uk

CSW Group also delivers this programme in Devon and Dorset. In Dorset CSW Group offer Develop toolkits to support promotion and engagement of STEM opportunities for those over the age of 25 years old. In Solent CSW Group deliver free skills training for the employed and unemployed.