Oldham Partnership Creates New Opportunities
Young people under-25 in Oldham have jumped at the opportunity to break into the music, sport, tech, and construction industries with free training, work experience and mentoring provided by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation.
The six-month long scheme which is now in week 10 of delivery, is funded by the The Guinness Partnership with financial support from Construction companies Wates, Kier and low-carbon energy provider EQUANS.
According to the most recent Oldham monthly labour market report (September 2021) there are 2,625 people aged between 18 and 24 claiming benefits.
This represents a youth unemployment rate of more than 13.2 per cent, the highest rate across Greater Manchester, and higher than the national rate of six per cent.
The skills development programme hopes to bridge this gap, providing weekly group activities to develop young people’s skills and raise aspirations. Support is offered in CV writing and job applications, and mentoring has been given to participants to run their own projects, as well personal development workshops offering vocational skills in filmmaking, social and digital media.
On completion of the programme, young people will take part in accredited training through the Open College Network Youth Leadership Award and will be able to access further training and volunteering opportunities in their local community.
“We are really enjoying delivering the programme in Oldham, the young people have gained so much confidence over the past 10 weeks and we’re now progressing them through an accredited qualification in leadership.”“Each week we’ve focused on setting the young people different tasks and challenges, which they’ve really enjoyed, whilst gaining new employability skills for the future.”“In the coming weeks we’ll be bringing in professionals from across our partner industries to inspire the young people and then look to progress them towards further training and eventually employment.”
““Creating opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen communities is at the heart of what we do, alongside providing the homes people need. We can’t wait to see the difference this opportunity will make as young people succeed in their aims by focusing on their talents and the things they enjoy.””
““The Rio Ferdinand Foundation was established to create opportunities for young people and support them to reach their potential in life. This new partnership programme with The Guinness Partnership is an important and exciting addition to our work in delivering that mission – offering skills development and pathways to young people in London. I look forward to seeing the work progress in the coming months.””