It’s YES for trio

May 21 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

MIDDLESBROUGH-wide Youth Engagement Scheme (YES) has gone live with its 2008 programme following a successful first year with the scheme that helps young people aged 16 to 19 in Middlesbrough realise their aspirations and improve their job prospects.

West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust’s young person-led training and consultancy business, Just 4 Youth is running the programme independently with funding from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund.

A spokesperson said it was best placed to break down barriers that exist around lack of understanding of what young people want, dependency on benefits, low aspirations and lack of knowledge of opportunities for young people to access training and employment.

To kick start the scheme, which will initially run until September, Just 4 Youth is providing a dedicated team of three Youth Employment Advisors to work across the Deprived Area Fund (DAF) areas in Ayresome, Beechwood, Clairville, Gresham, Hemlington, North Ormesby/Brambles Farm, Pallister Park, Park End, Thorntree and University.

The advisors will ensure youngsters can access the correct levels of support and services to reduce the ‘worklessness’ numbers in the town.

“What makes this scheme unique is that the Young Employment Advisors are young people themselves,” said Kevin Franks, operations director for Just 4 Youth.

“Using the skills and knowledge of these young people enables barriers that exist to be broken down. The result is that those youngsters who were previously difficult to engage with become involved in a range of positive activities aimed at helping them achieve their potential.”

Abigail Fields, Youth Development Co-ordinator at Just 4 Youth, who will be working as the central point of contact for the Youth Employment Advisors, added: “The advisor’s role is basically to engage with young people and work with them to give them the support they need to help prepare them for employment.

“But they aren’t just sitting back and waiting for young people to come to them. They are pro-actively going out to find the young people who need the most help - visiting youth clubs, schools and YIP Buses (Youth Inclusion Projects), even making home visits.

“Once we have contact with a young person, they will receive support with their individual action plan and all the information, advice and guidance they need.”

Linda Broadhead, Chair at WMNT said: “Just 4 Youth’s Young Employment Advisors are really helping to address youth employment in Middlesbrough at a grass roots level.

“They are proactive and hands on in the work they do and really support the young people they work with. They act as positive role models and engage the young people in motivational and employment training.

“The work done here, by the Young Employment Advisors complements perfectly the work Just 4 Youth are doing in other areas.

“This includes working with kids in schools on Peer Mentoring programmes, and working with employers in the region to help them engage with young people in their own areas.

“And the fact that the Young Employment Advisors, and all of Just 4 Youth’s Young Advisors, are young people themselves makes them absolutely the best people for the job.”