**Concluded in March 2018**
Journey to Work Plus is a 3-year project funded by the European Social Fund and is supported under the Youth Employment Initiative. Journey to Work Plus, led by TwentyTwenty and supported by The Y and Futures, will provide an intensive and focused package of support to assist young people and young adults from across Leicester City to successfully secure sustainable employment. Our objective is to increase retention rates and positive progression into education employment and training by ensuring the people we support are able to commit to, and succeed in Education Employment or Training. As a result of we would hope to see a reduction in Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) figures across Leicester City.
There are two programmes within Journey to Work Plus:
- Engage 16+ (for young people aged 16-24) delivered by TwentyTwenty and The Y – see below for more information.
- Engage 25+ (for young adults aged 25-29) delivered by Futures
Engage 16+
What support is available?
Engage 16+
An initial 8-week programme which supports disengaged YP in small groups to ‘acclimatise’ to longer study. Using a Solution-Focused approach within a framework of person-centred support, Engage helps young people to examine core strengths, areas of interest and employability competencies through four, two-week modules. Celebrating ‘quick wins’ to boost confidence, young people will learn to ‘own’ a decision to make their journey to work. Each young person will be provided with intensive 1-2-1 support from a dedicated Journey to Work Plus Coach and (if required) a Complex Needs Worker.
J2W+
- Young people can either transition from Engage to J2W+, or if they are ready, they can enrol straight on to J2W+.
- A six-month employability focused education, skills training and career planning programme.
- Groups of young people work with dedicated and passionate tutors to achieve accredited qualifications in English, Maths, and ICT.
- Alongside tutors, each young person receives support from a dedicated Journey to Work Plus Coach (and Complex Needs Worker if required) to support them every step of their journey.
- Young people attain work-ready skills and competencies (through classroom learning, interactions with local employers and work experiences), providing them with the knowledge and confidence they need to move towards further training/education and employment.
Progress
- Successful transition into employment or further education, sustained for at least 12-months.
- This key transition is supported by a high calibre volunteer progression mentor, who is trained to support each young person through their positive progression into further training/education or employment
- Their Journey to Work Plus Coach will stay engaged if further support is required
- Complex Needs Workers will remain engaged with both the employer and young person, providing personalised support to reduce barriers to sustained positive progression, which could include issues around maintaining accommodation, personal relationships, finances and mental health and well-being.
Who will benefit from the Project?
- The programme has been designed to provide intensive and bespoke support for unemployed and economically inactive young adults (aged 16-24 years) living in Leicester City, who need support to progress into education, training and employment opportunities.
- Beneficiaries are likely to evidence complex needs including but not exclusively: learning disabilities, common mental health barriers, ex-offenders and those involved in crime, gang activity and anti-social behaviour, young lone parents, ex-offenders or young adults with learning difficulties, care leavers, those with experience of homelessness or unstable housing, substance misuse, domestic violence, and being brought up in a household where unemployment is endemic and multi-generational.
Where is the programme delivered?
TwentyTwenty Lifeskills Centre, 66-68 Charles Street, Leicester, LE1 1FB
How to Refer
Referrals can be made either by an individual self-referring, or through a partner organisation supporting the individual. Referral forms must be completed.
More Information?
If you would like to discuss the Journey to Work Plus programme in more detail, please get in touch with TwentyTwenty Leicester Lifeskills Centre Manager, James Barnsley on [email protected] or 0116 261 9790.