Darlington Borough Council has invested in a new youth employment project to help more young people access quality local jobs and opportunities.
Darlington Borough Council and partners are pleased to announce the appointment of Youth Employment UK to lead a flagship project to tackle youth unemployment in the area.
Young people in Darlington report a lack of confidence in their ability to find good quality work where they live. Young people also say they have a number of barriers at work, such as a lack of confidence, skills, experience and that Covid has impacted their mental health and anxiety.
Darlington Borough Council and its partners want to change this narrative and the perception of quality work in the region. Having had significant investment in the local economy both internally and from external organizations setting up shop in the area, it is believed that there are ample opportunities for young people to study, work and thrive in Darlington .
To support this initiative, Darlington Borough Council has contracted the services of Youth Employment UK, a leading youth employment organization, to run a youth-friendly program across Darlington.
The youth friendly project has a number of work streams including putting the voice and experience of young people at the heart of this project by creating a youth advisory group, creating the Youth Friendly Darlington online hub where support and opportunities for young people can be find and help employers gain recognition and create good quality work experience, training and employment opportunities.
We hope that all of Darlington will support our young people and make the city great with them and for them.
5 ways local Darlington youth, employers and educators can get involved:
1. Visit the Youth Friendly Darlington Hub
SUITABLE FOR: YOUTH
Young people can explore a wealth of local opportunities and support resources related to employment, education, training and building professional confidence.
2. Attend the Darlington Business Breakfast on October 11, 2022
SUITABLE FOR: EMPLOYERS
Employers and local organizations are invited to attend the launch of the Youth Friendly Place initiative by Darlington Borough Council and its partners at a business breakfast held at Darlington College’s new business centre.
Find out how your organization can pave the way for real change in the region by understanding the real issues and barriers facing young people in your community.
3. Sign the Charter for Good Jobs for Young People
SUITABLE FOR: EMPLOYERS
Darlington employers who want to showcase their opportunities to young locals are encouraged to sign the Good Youth Employment UK charter. Membership is completely free. Benefits include obtaining resources to help your organization work towards the key principles of good youth employment, making your organization’s employment and training opportunities an attractive proposition to Darlington youth. An added tangible free benefit is gaining access to pitching your latest early career opportunities to Darlington youth – and it’s all completely free, with no hidden costs.
Help young people in your area live locally, think BIG.
4. Join the Darlington Youth Advisory Group
SUITABLE FOR: YOUTH
Young people now have the opportunity to speak out about what works for you in terms of local opportunities and what you think it will take to make Darlington a great place for all young people. No experience is necessary. You just need to be between the ages of 11 and 30, live in the Darlington area, and have some ideas of improvements you’d like to see. As a member of the Darlington Youth Advisory Group, you may be invited to meetings where you share ideas and review the activities of the project working group.
5. Become a young professional supplier
SUITABLE FOR: TEACHERS, CAREER MANAGERS, EDUCATORS
In the 2022 Youth Voice census of over 4,000 young people in the UK, only 34.4% of those in training believed they understood the skills employers were looking for. Of those still in school and those under the age of 18, 29.7% rated the career advice they had received so far as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
Darlington-area schools and colleges can sign up for free career education resources and personalized cohort support as a provider of young professionals. It is completely free, with no hidden costs. You will receive personalized support to integrate career learning in the form of online courses related to skills building and career readiness, valuable student advice as part of the Young Professionals program for students and learners , educational resources and more.
Laura-Jane Rawlings, Founder and CEO of Youth Employment UK:
“This is a wonderful opportunity to support the Borough Council’s ambitions to offer the best possible support to young people in Darlington. We believe that the key to creating a youth-friendly place is to have a clear vision that everyone can buy into, involving local actors through quality programs, while letting young people take the initiative to influence and shape what a youth-friendly Darlington will be. be. The fact that young people across the country constantly tell us about their lack of confidence in their ability to find quality jobs where they live is irrefutable proof that this initiative is needed more than ever.
Councilor Jon Clarke, Darlington Borough Council’s Member of the Children and Youth Cabinet:
“In Darlington, we have made tremendous progress in attracting new, quality jobs to the city. We need to make sure that all of our young people see that these opportunities are available to them and that they can access them. We are delighted to be working with Youth Employment UK and are confident that Youth Friendly Darlington will make a huge difference to the prospects of our young people.
What is a Youth Friendly Space?
A youth-friendly place is a defined constituency or other locality where every local stakeholder (including young people, local government, educators, employers, youth organizations and parents) commits to working together to reduce youth unemployment in their region.
About Youth Employment in the UK
Youth Employment UK is an independent, not-for-profit social enterprise founded in 2012 to tackle youth unemployment. As experts on youth employment and unemployment, they are uniquely placed to understand the complex landscape facing young people, educators, employers and policy makers.
Notes for Editors
Press inquiries should be directed to Simon Beckman, Head of Partnerships at Youth Employment UK, via email.
Simon Beckman
Head of Partnerships
M: +44 (0) 7973 779 629
E : [email protected]
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