When one door closes – the next is hard to open!

The old adage ‘When one door closes another opens’ is certainly not true for around one million young people who are classed as NEET, ‘ not in education or training’.

The latest Government figures reveal a total of 954,000 young people in England were not in employment or training during the first three months of the year.

For many young people their lack of qualifications and skills combined with a down turn in the economy has meant that when the door to formal education at 16 closes their chances of opening the door to their first job is greatly diminished.  

The latest report from The Work Foundation reveals that whilst the current recession is certainly having an impacting the underlying problem of NEETs has been on the increase over the last decade. Their report reveals that young people have been finding it increasingly harder to take the first step on the employment ladder, accounting for most of rise in the number of NEET people.

At Eureka Schools we have been working successfully with young people, stepping in where so often traditional education has failed to give them the skills they need to succeed in the job market.

We believe in teaching young people in a way they want to learn as opposed to the way the formal education system wants to teach. This means using gaming, technology, drama and theatre to give individuals the key skills that employers are looking for. As well as gaining ‘soft skills’ in the areas of CV writing, interview techniques, money management they also have the opportunity to gain more formal qualifications. Students have the chance to work towards qualifications from the Institute of Sales & Marketing Management, for some these will be the first qualifications they have achieved.  At the end of the programme all students go away with increased confidence, self-belief and ambition.

The Work Foundation report also highlights that if we are to have a real impact on the overall NEET figures we urgently need to address the issue of those individuals that can be classed as ‘Pre-NEET’. At Eureka Schools our Pre-NEET programmes use the same techniques as used for NEETS.  Our Pre- NEET programme is about prevention rather than cure. Here we help schools re-engage with young people to enable them participate to gain valuable life skills and at least minimum qualifications.

Self possessed, confident and passionate - today's young people!

With all the bad press about young people, dysfunctional hoodies and disruptive "youffs", what a joy it was to be the chair of the judges at the Rotary "Youth Speaks" district finals in Wheathampstead last week.

The young people were self possessed confident, passionate and sincere. They spoke about a range of thoughtful, even philosophical topics such as "The image of young people", "Wishes" and "Olympic spirit". ... Oh that the Daily Mail would come and make headlines out of that !!

NEET young people's view of government work initiative

We asked some of the NEET young people on our current course what there reactions were to the government initiative for young people - here are their reactions !

Vicki - "I totally agree with the government as most youngsters nowadays are either just sitting in all day watching television and playing video games, or getting into trouble with the police. They do this just to get attention as thee is nothing out there for us teenagers because most of us didn't pay attention in school and left with near to no qualifications. We cannot get a job because we don't have any experience and no-one will give us the chance to prove ourselves and I honestly think it's unfair because everyone will come to this point in their lives, and I personally think that everyone should have a chance"

James - "I think it could be a turn for the best because all people do nowadays is do what the government thinks, but not for the best. They also drink alcohol, play games and do drugs all day trying to make their boredom go away and this routine continues to go on and being on jobseekers it's a constant chain of standing still"

Kevin - "I think it's an amazing idea to bring earn or learn as there are people out there who want to learn or have a job, as people like me are sick and tired of not having a job.  People might be sick of not having the chance of making a name for themselves, so I would recommend the Earn or Learn any day of the week"

Are the government REALLY helping NEET young people?

“Isn’t it amazing that the government make all  the recent announcements (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17104998) of schemes to help NEET young people without a trace of irony !?

Is it not bizarre that the government are now pouring millions into youth unemployment and NEET young people when they have so recently slashed much of the youth provision and infrastructure that was previously in place to support exactly these young people. It’s a bit like cancelling your insurance, having a crash and then having to throw loads more at it to fix the damage...!

We're finalists in the Hertfordshire Business Awards !

Press release for immediate release

Eureka Youth, a community interest company based in St Albans, have been shortlisted for the prestigious Hertfordshire Business Awards.

The company was founded on the belief that everyone given time and creative space can surpass their own expectations.

In the current economic climate, the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (so-called NEETs) is rising. Eureka Youth believe that by instilling belief in one’s own abilities and through the correct guidance and coaching you can dramatically improve an individual’s chances of getting onto the career ladder.

The Eureka NEET Enrichment and Youth Job-Readiness programmes help young people to build the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to better equip them to get a job and secure their economic well-being. Usually delivered on behalf of local authorities as an innovative means of supporting their youth provision, these engaging programmes have helped over 70% of young participants to achieve nationally recognised qualifications and be motivated to get back into education or work.

The programmes offer far more than careers advice with activity focused around practical sales, marketing and customer service skills that can be applied in a wide variety of roles in the commercial world.

Eureka’s work isn’t confined to people over 16 years. The ethos of the company is that pupils are never too young to learn the skills that will give them the confidence to operate within the increasingly competitive commercial world they will enter.

Patricia Seabright, founder of the company said, “Eureka is run by a series of people who are all passionate about improving the life chances of our young people. As parents ourselves we know how important it is to give children the belief in their own abilities and with careful nurturing they can achieve amazing things.”

She went on to add, “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the ‘Supporting Young People’ award. The true rewards, however, come from hearing how we have changed for better the path of the young people we have coached.”

The awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony at Knebworth Barn hosted by Paul Ross on November 24th 2011.

ENDS

All pass!

Congratulations to all participants of our recent ISMM Sales & Marketing course, which we ran on behalf of Central Bedfordshire Council - all young people who took part passed their exams and are now ISMM Level 1 qualified in Sales & Marketing as well as Customer Services Skills - well done!
Watch this brief video to learn more about this inspirational programme.
We are proud to confirm that they have all now secured work placements and are taking positive next steps by enroling in further education programmes and/or looking for full-time work/apprenticeships. Good luck for the future, team - Eureka are here to offer support whenever you need it!

A Chance to Shine

Eureka have long been vocal about the need to bring business, enterprise and life skills to young people - both in school, where it should not just be seen as an alternative to established GCSEs and A-Levels but as an important addition to all their studies and chosen future career paths - as well as to so called NEETs - young people who find themselves not currently in education, employment or training. Patricia recently had an in-depth study published in the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management's magazine 'Winning Edge' - you can click here to read her views on how to bring this important knowledge to Britain's young people to enable them to achieve economic well-being - meaning a brighter future for them and the country as a whole!