Inspire’s YES (Youth Employment Service) has extended its life-changing support to help all young people in Suffolk discover new possibilities.
Traditionally offered in coastal regions of Suffolk, thanks to funding from East Suffolk Council, YES helps 16–25-year-olds to get what they want from life. Our advisors work with young people to offer career advice, employability skills and help them realise their future goals.
Pre-pandemic, youth unemployment was already on an upward trajectory. The unemployment rate for 16–24-year-olds was 11.9% in January-March 2020, up from 11.3% on the previous quarter. In April 2020, 383,400 people aged 16-24 claimed unemployment-related benefits – an increase of 141,640 from March 2020. These national figures are representative of a similar situation in Suffolk, where NEET rates are proportionally higher.
We believe EVERY young person, no matter the barriers they face, or the past trauma they have endured, should be given the opportunity to build a bright future. For this reason, we’ve worked tirelessly to increase capacity of YES across the region and ensure geography is not a factor in young people accessing the support they need.
Each young person we work with is unique. Their journey with us could have many phases through several workshops, courses, work experience and psychotherapy, or it may be a one-off intervention. This is led by the participants own needs, skills gaps and aspirations which shape our package of support. We utilise both our own services, and those of other local suppliers, creating a collaborative approach to supporting our county’s youth, with one, consistent point-of-contact.
With the Covid-19 restrictions easing, YES has also reintroduced our popular interactive workshops which aim to build on everyday skills that young people may not have had the chance to develop, from invaluable cv writing tips, to ironing a shirt for an interview. With this expansion, YES can support a wider range of young people from any background who may be struggling with finding Employment, Education or Training opportunities.
One of the young people who has previously worked with this had this to say:
“My confidence has improved and talking with new people has become a lot easier now. I’m doing a 12-week course with the Prince’s Trust and Inspire Suffolk. We’ve been setting goals and targets and improving my confidence. Back before YES, I don’t think it’s something I would do but I now see myself doing more things like it in the future.”
Find out more about YES here.
