Youth engagement | City & Guilds Foundation

Connecting Communities: new free service to support London residents into full time employment

by Lauren Roberts | 22 Apr 2022 | Advocacy, Bursaries, Connecting our communities, Digital poverty, News, Social investment, Youth engagement

Connecting Communities: Your Bridge to Success Connecting Communities is a free service that can support eligible individuals* into full time employment. There are lots of jobs in the City of London, and Connecting Communities can help individuals by: Improving basic skillsLearning new skillsPreparing for a jobPutting together a CVGaining work experienceAccessing and applying for local jobs To arrange a meeting with one of their experienced Caseworkers, email...

[Podcast] Lost Opportunities: The Hidden Cost of Caring

by Lauren Roberts | 16 Mar 2022 | Advocacy, Connecting our communities, Inclusion & diversity, Podcasts, Youth engagement

To celebrate Young Carers Action Day, Lauren Roberts, our Foundation Advocacy lead invited Rosario Waterlow, Corporate Partnerships Executive to talk about her lived experience of being a young carer and navigating the education system and employment. Listen to hear about what more educators and employers can do support young carers to tackle the growing issues of isolation. At the City & Guilds Foundation we are all about removing the barriers that less advantaged members of our...

Championing degree apprenticeships

by Lauren Roberts | 22 Feb 2021 | Advocacy, Youth engagement

Since their launch in 2015, the interest and uptake of degree apprenticeships has been great. Last month I was invited to speak at Universities UK Degree apprenticeships conference. The agenda was all about responding to the increased interest in degree apprenticeships. We also looked at the unprecedented challenges not only the sector is facing, but UK economy overall and making sure that degree apprenticeships remain high on the agenda. My session focused on raising the profile of this...

Supporting vulnerable young people to access learning

by Lauren Roberts | 15 Jan 2021 | Advocacy, Digital poverty, News, Youth engagement

The City & Guilds Foundation is acutely aware of the challenges facing learners at all levels across the UK, including the many learners who receive support from our charitable partners or directly through the Foundation’s bursary programme. We applaud efforts being made by the UK Government and charities across the country to make the hardware necessary for online learning available to those in need, this support must continue to be rolled out with utmost urgency if we are to...

It’s time to act on digital exclusion

by Lauren Roberts | 4 Dec 2020 | Connecting our communities, Youth engagement

Last month I was invited to speak at the Apprenticeship Diversity & Social Mobility Forum, which aims to bring together leading figures in diversity and inclusion, and experts on social mobility. The series of three annual events was organised by one of our newest partners, the BAME Apprenticeships Alliance, a community of organisations who support diversity in the workplace through policy and advocacy. The...

Interview with Change Grow Live’s Laura Shurrock

by Polly Adamson | 15 Oct 2020 | Connecting our communities, News, Social investment, Youth engagement

We recently caught up with Laura Shurrock, Mentoring Support Officer at Change Grow Live, a charity we have been supporting since 2018 with a three-year grant. Change Grow Live’s mission is to help people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential. Our funding supports Change Grow Live's project in partnership with Birmingham Youth Offending Service and the West Midlands Police, which helps young people in the community who are at risk of...

Bringing employability into the classroom

by Lauren Roberts | 5 Oct 2020 | Advocacy, Connecting our communities, Youth engagement

Our youth engagement work aims to take a practical approach in informing and helping young people, especially those at risk of becoming NEET, to make more informed choices about their future. One of the biggest barriers young people face when entering the world of work is adapting and settling into a working environment. By giving students the chance to meet employers while still in the classroom setting, we aim to bridge the gap between schools providing support for academic success and...

You can’t be what you can’t see: helping all girls find role models to succeed

by Julia Bena | 1 Oct 2020 | Connecting our communities, Social investment, Youth engagement

Conversations with professionals and experience in workplaces is the single most effective intervention at changing stereotypical expectations about future careers. Helping young people understand the job opportunities available to them is something we’re passionate about at the City & Guilds Foundation. That’s why we’re proud to support The Girls’ Network, a charity that matches female mentors from non-graduate pathways with girls from the least advantaged communities in the UK. So far,...

Engaging with young people during Covid-19

by Lauren Roberts | 14 Apr 2020 | Connecting our communities, Youth engagement

Our research tells us that long before the pandemic young people often struggle to enter the world of work. Depending on who you know your experience of moving from education to paid work can be a real struggle and one in which many obstacles must be overcome. Through our Youth Engagement work we strive to take a practical approach in informing and helping young people who may be at risk of becoming NEET, to make more informed choices about their future. Our main focus is creating engaging and...