Title of Project – Fit for Work through CashBack
Theme – Journey to Employment
Target Group – Young people disadvantaged by:-
- Living in areas of deprivation; and
- Being unemployed, not in education or training; and
- Being at risk of being involved in antisocial behaviour, offending/re-offending
Age range : 15 to 24 years
Number of Young People Project expects to work with : 300
Summary of Project
An 8 week interactive and bespoke employability programme twice a year in each of the 5 local authority areas. It will provide intensive 1:1 mentoring and group work to those young people furthest from the work force (stages 1 and 2 of the employability pipeline) and provide follow up support to sustain positive destinations. The project will include:-
- Engagement: Assertive outreach engagement. Young people will be assigned an employability mentor who will assess them and provide guidance to ensure a relationship is established that underpins the young person’s outcome progress. The mentor will provide consistent support throughout programme delivery.
- Health/ wellbeing fitness: Barnardo’s will deliver activities that improve young people’s mental/ physical health,e.g. mountain biking, and up to 20 hours community volunteering. Activities will link to employability skills e.g. team building. Outcomes achieved: young people will develop physical and personal skills; and their wellbeing is improved.
- Financial fitness: young people will be supported to better understand their personal finances to:maximise income, recognise the benefits of work, and how to budget for household costs; they can also undertake a Personal Finance Award (SQA). Outcomes achieved: Young people build their capacity and confidence.
- Fit to compete for work: bespoke employability activities to build young people’s soft, core and vocational skills, including: work placements, CV/ interview techniques, exploring further education, employer visits and presentations. It will include recognised/ accredited award such as: Youth Achievement or Employability Award.
- Graduation/ post-programme support: young people will have an award ceremony. Those progressing to positive destinations will be offered additional in-work support/ guidance. Those not will be offered aftercare employability support.
Areas where project will be delivered
Aberdeen: Torry, Tillydrone, Woodside, Middlefield and Seaton communities (most deprived datazones in the city).
Dundee: Lochee and Dundee West (most employment deprived areas), Linlathen and Midcraigie (most health deprived), and Dundee West (most crime deprived).
Edinburgh: Moredun (most employment deprived area), Muirhouse (most education deprived area), Clovenstone and Drumbryden (most income deprived areas), Bingham, Magdalene and the Christians (most health deprived areas), and Leith (most crime deprived area).
Highlands: Merkinch, Hilton, and Raigmore areas of inverness and areas within Wick, as these contain the most deprived Highland datazones.
Renfrewshire: communities in Johnstone North, Paisley North and in and around the Ferguslie area as these are the most deprived areas of the authority.