The Employability Course: A Chance to Learn Something New

We want to end youth homelessness and we’re tackling the problem locally by providing a home and support to over 100 vulnerable young adults every night. We give the young people a stable home and provide them with the skills they need so they can leave us and forge an independent life.

The young people who live in our accommodation centres are enjoying a new way of working with our Job Coach, Sharon. Having experienced success with Job Coach drop in and one to one appointments, Sharon decided it was time to offer a change to provide a more ‘hands on’ approach. After some consideration and discussions with the young people’s Support Workers, The Employability Course was born.

The Employability Course is a series of workshops designed to fully equip a young person with the skills to complete an application form, write a CV and personal statement and also gain some experience of interviews etc.  In addition to this, the young people cook their own lunch and share this as a group.  After lunch the young people take part in further workshops designed to help with their independence and living skills. These workshops cover drugs and alcohol, mental health, anger awareness, emotional well-being and budgeting.

So far 13 young people have successfully completed the full course and gained 24 AQA’s (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) as well as First Aid Certificates and their Food Hygiene Level One certificates.

The young people have cooked a selection of different dishes including curry, spring rolls, chocolate cupcakes, burger and chips and cottage pie to name just a few and the feedback from the first three completed sessions has been extremely positive both from the young people who have taken part and their Support Workers.

The young people have said they have enjoyed the interview workshops and budgeting as these are skills they have lacked in since they left school. They also enjoyed the opportunity to cook and try different foods and said it was great to have a purpose.

One young person said: “I have enjoyed getting qualifications, while having fun learning and meeting a new people.”

Ben, Manager of one of our supported accommodation centres said: “I think the Employability Course has been great. One young person in particular is very quiet and struggles to engage fully with staff. She has been getting herself up and ready every Wednesday for the course – without staff reminders and you can clearly see the positive impact that taking part in the course has had on her. The main thing I have noticed is that she seems happy, talks to staff more and has definitely improved her social skills.”

Well done to Sharon and each of the young people who have taken part in The Employability Course.