79% of students on our last cohort of the Prince’s Trust Team Programme have found their place in work, education or training, thanks to the programme’s emphasis on forward thinking and effective teamwork.
The 12-week programme has long acted as a successful turning point for young people who are not in education or employment or are struggling to find work. Throughout their personal development journey, our leaners were guided to uncover hidden strengths and assume responsibility, developing their confidence and gaining qualifications to support their employability. Any students who didn’t immediately find their next steps are receiving one-to-one support from our YES service to find local job vacancies and opportunities to fortify their CV.
The graduates are starting careers in a wide range of industries including Security, Hair Dressing, Animal care, Hospitality, Marketing and Game Design.
The Team Programme Experience
During the first weeks of the programme, our students got to know each other and set personal targets for what they want to achieve. 67 percent reported that they had new skills or knowledge and over half of them made new friends out of the experience. They participated in teamwork activities that ranged from axe throwing, archery, and Search and Rescue to canoeing, climbing and raft building.
One student explained, “I loved how the activities made my team’s communication stronger. By the end of the week, we knew each other better and understood how to use our team members strengths effectively”.
On the next stage of their journey, students all had a part to play in planning, designing and delivering their community action project, giving them key skills, they can draw on throughout their working life. Not only did it give the groups a chance to express their thoughts and ideas, but it also allowed them to make a positive impact on the world around them. Students made care packages containing essentials for the homeless, painted a mural raising awareness of mental health, and completed a 14K walk to fundraise for a local charity.
As they started to plan their next steps, the team were mentored in how to impress at a job interview by industry insiders, drawing on their experiences so far in the programme. One student said, “I had no idea I was capable of the career options available to me. My problem was not knowing where to turn. But now I have so many opportunities, I’m grateful and can’t wait to explore”.
The following weeks are spent on a work placement gain experience in industries that interested them. One person from the programme shared their thoughts, “On the course I was taught employability skills that were easy to learn and made me feel prepared for talking to an employer. I’m so excited for my next interview.”
In the final week, students prepared a presentation to perform in front of friends, family and possible employers. This personal speech from students was a reflection on their life experience before programme, what they achieved, benefits they took from the course and what they plan to do in the future. In this moment, the students are celebrated for their successes and how far they’d come. One young person who completed the programme explained, “During this course I’ve gained confidence and have achieved things I thought I wouldn’t have accomplished alone. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but I wouldn’t have been able to push myself so far without the help of the Team Programme”.
If you would like to see what our courses have to offer, then you can browse our range of education opportunities here.
