A new initiative to tackle youth unemployment and improve employment opportunities in the North East has been launched by International award winning Business Improvement District Company, NE1 Ltd and is already having a huge impact in the region.
Using NE1’s unique contacts and relationships with the city’s business community, NE1 Can is providing direct links between 1,400 business members and young people aged between 16 19 years old in the North East.
NE1 Can is ultimately about jobs and marrying the right young people with the right employment opportunities, as well as raising aspirations.
One of the key goals is equipping young people with essential skills as they transition from school and college into the workplace. These skills include a greater awareness of career choices and what businesses want and need from their workers.
The initiative is proving a major boom for business allowing them to gain greater understanding of working with and employing young people. The relationship is fast, direct and is delivering results efficiently and cost effectively.
A growing number of schools and colleges have signed up and NE1 Can has already teamed up with businesses including the NHS, Marks & Spencer, Leeds Building Society, Nigel Wright and NRG among others. To date, a number of business-led training and skills sessions have been organised including a Day in the Life of a Doctor, mock interview sessions, CV writing, as well as quality work experience opportunities across a range of industry sectors. The sessions have allowed young people to visit workplaces, apply for work experience placements as well as for jobs and apprenticeships.
Events are planned over the coming months with Virgin Money, Marks & Spencer, Bond Dickinson and others.
Sean Bullick, Chief Executive of NE1 said: “The North East business community has been really keen to get involved and to throw its weight behind this unique approach to tackling the dual issues of youth unemployment and the lack of skilled employees in the region. NE1 Can is unique because it takes services direct to young people, often within an individual business, or commercial environment. It has allowed us to extend our reach, have a greater impact and deliver even greater results.
“We have already had some great successes and are working hard to raise aspirations and help more young people into quality work, education or training.”
A recent NHS Day in the Life of a Doctor’ event was attended by over 40 young people, coordinator, Mike Wilson from Health Education England said:
“We hope to target more young people with events like this than we could ever hope to reach on our own. Through NE1 Can events we can show the diversity of roles and careers available and hopefully inspire young people who may not have considered medicine and the NHS as a personal career route. We can also take the opportunity to help young people map out exactly what will be needed for a career in the NHS.”
Elaine Tulip-Johnson, Managing Consultant at Nigel Wright Group, one of the businesses involved in NE1 Can, said; “Nigel Wright deals with hundreds of executive and professional appointments in the UK and overseas each year. The advice we can offer young people on areas such as job interviews, CVs and employability will not only benefit them now but will stay with them throughout their working lives. We hope the knowledge and skills the students gain during our workshops will help as well as motivate them to seek out a rewarding career.
Sarah Garay at St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School assistant to the Head of Sixth Form said: “Working with NE1 has enabled our Sixth Form students to come into direct contact with local employers which helps them develop real world skills to make them more employable, be that in a part time capacity or to support further or higher education, or for when they complete their education and move into their careers. This is a fantastic opportunity that helps students put their formal education into context, become more confident and helps them when applying for and successfully gaining employment.”
NE1 Can is always seeking volunteers from businesses keen to get involved and can work with employers to develop bespoke events and activities.
