Youth engagement | City & Guilds Foundation

City & Guilds Foundation and Gower College Swansea launch innovative £100k project to support at risk young people into secure employment

by Polly Rowe | 8 Sep 2022 | Critical transition points, Funding, News, Our networks, Youth engagement

The City & Guilds Foundation and Gower College Swansea have entered into a new strategic partnership to support learners at risk of dropping out of education, overcome barriers and find positive ways to gain skills and enduring work. The funding will put up to 200 young people through a Transition & Engagement support programme, designed to raise aspirations and help disadvantaged and disengaged learners to develop and enhance existing skills to prepare them for the world of work. The...

Youth Voices

by Lauren Roberts | 25 May 2021 | Awareness Raising, City & Guilds initiatives, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, News, Youth engagement

It's been a busy few months, with lots of events happening and many opportunities to share mine & the Foundation's views on what we can do to support young people, especially those facing barriers, to engage with employment, now and into their future. Youth Unemployment Committee, House of Lords, 23 March 2021 I was honored to be invited to give evidence at the House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee in March. I was able to give my views on work experience and the benefits it can have...

Championing degree apprenticeships

by Lauren Roberts | 22 Feb 2021 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, News, 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 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, 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 | Awareness Raising, Charity partners, Digital poverty, News, 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 Rowe | 15 Oct 2020 | Charity partners, Funding, News, Our networks, Prisoners and ex-offenders, 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 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Charity partners, News, Our networks, 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 Lauren Roberts | 1 Oct 2020 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, Charity partners, Critical transition points, Funding, News, Our networks, 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 | Awareness Raising, Campaigning, News, Our networks, 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...