Youth EMPLOYMENT UKA youth employment magazine for everyone

LinkedIn for the Unemployed

w w w . y e u k . o r g . u k

5 Tips for Writing

a Great CV

Expectationv

Reality

Paidv

Unpaid

April 2013

DRAG HERE→

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CONTENTSEditor’s Note p3

CV Writing p4

Being a Graduate: Expectation v Realityp5

Graduates: Application &Interview Process p6 - 7

Youth Enterprise: The Future of British Business p8 - 9

A View from the Youth Unemployed p10

LinkedIn for the Unemployed p11

So Where Next for the Great Apprenticeship Project? p12 - 13

InspireEducation p14 - 15

Youth Enterprise Nation 2013 p16

YEUK Youth Member Benefits p17

Internships Paid v Unpaid p18 - 19

Rockstar Youth Interview p20

Letters p21

Apprenticeship Interview p22 - 23

Aspirationsal Britain p24 - 25

Opening Doors p26

Events p27

Youth Membership p28

Just for Fun p29

In Our Next Issue p30

Contact and Disclamer p31

YEUK Member Logos p32

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EDITOR’S note

With the same message and aims, but a different layout, Youth Employment Mag-

azine wishes to highlight the issues and hit out against the lack of information

and negative stigma surrounding youth unemployment.

I am really excited about my involvement in, what I consider to be, an incredi-

bly important issue and potentially enlightening publication, Youth Employment

Magazine. As an undergraduate I am acutely aware of youth unemployment and

the difficulty that somebody in my position, and younger, face once they leave

the safety that is education and enter the rat race for a paying job. I think this is

a cause that requires as many people as possible to get involved and help send a

powerful message to fight the problem, head on.

Building on the success of last month’s edition, this monthly magazine aims to

provide a much-needed platform, to offer useful advice and highlight some of the

realities for 16-24 year olds. There should be something for everyone: whether

you are an apprentice, graduate, in employment, or seeking work, Youth Employ-

ment Magazine aims to encourage a dialogue amongst these groups and fill the

void between what we expect and what is required.

Enjoy, and do get in contact to help us send the message that this is a fight we do

not intend to lose.

All the best,

Holly Motion

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5 TIPS FOR WRITING

A GREAT CV

1.Research, Research, Research

The more you know about the company you are applying to and understand what you might be doing if you got that job, the easier you will find it to write a really good CV demonstrating you have the right skills for the job.2. Get the basics right Break your CV up into sections. Education, Jobs/ work experience, Extra- Curric-ular activities (long word, but it means all the other things you have been involved with at School and College, Art/ Drama, projects, clubs etc.), Interests including Sport, Arts, Volunteering, Youth groups such as Scouts and finally Achievements such as awards (Duke of Edinburgh is a good one), volunteering, anything you have done that you are proud of.

3. Make Connections

Read the job description and link what they are looking for to your experience. If they are looking for someone who is bright, tell them about your exam results and subjects you studied. If they want a person who is able to work well with oth-er people highlight experiences where you have worked with others such as part time work or in

4. Presentation is Everything

Make it look good on the page, not with colours and fancy fonts but by making it clear, well laid out and easy to read, remember that it has to be read by someone who does not know you.5. Check it and then Check it again It is very difficult to proof read your own work, ask someone whose opinion you value (teacher/ boss) to read it through and ask them what they think, are you selling all of your skills? I bet they will remind you of something you missed out! – Good Luck

By Simon Bason a careers specialist, Simon is a Youth Employment UK Mem-ber and InspireEducation Trainer. You can find out more about Simons work at http://www.brighttrack.co.uk/

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Being a GraduateExpectations vs. Reality

I didn’t want to go to university. I was 18, had the best friends and was sick of education. Why sign myself up for years of debt just to do some more studying miles away from my friends and family? Despite this, my mum talked me in to it, bundled me up a left me crying in a student flat in Lincoln surrounded by strangers. It took me about 24 hours to realise that I loved univer-sity. Fast forward three years, and I’m sitting at home searching hopelessly for jobs and wishing I could just go back.

Everybody warned us that the year after universi-ty would be awful, so in that respect I can’t say that I wasn’t prepared for evenings of nostalgia and wistful-ness. What I wasn’t prepared for was the endless rejec-tion letters from jobs, the chronic ‘home’ sickness for my student house, and the hideous realisation that I am 22 and need to grow up. Within one month of leav-ing university I got a full time temp job in a healthcare company, so some would say that I am lucky to even be employed. The problem is, when I think about po-tential long term careers for myself, working in a healthcare company is pretty far away from ideal. I’m grateful for my job and I don’t hate it, it just isn’t where I saw myself being nearly a year after I graduated.

I also wasn’t prepared for how difficult looking for jobs is, especially if you don’t know exactly what you want to do. A lot of employers ask for a few years experience in the industry, but how are we ex-pected to get that experience if nobody employs us in the first place? As graduates go, I haven’t got it too badly; some of my friends have spent the last ten months unemployed. On the other hand, some-body I went to university with has a job on The One Show. For her, I suspect that her expectation of post-university life has been well and truly exceeded. As for me, I’ll keep searching for my dream job.

By Kristen Hobden

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•Ensure you do your research and ensure you have motivation for the role before you apply; •Make use of practice online numerical tests and the resources available online for e-tray;•If you can, in advance of the interview, try to speak/meet with Deloitte people via our buddy scheme, at a Deloitte event on campus or in one of our offices;•Prepare in advance of any interviews, prepare examples for each competency area;•Prepare some questions for our interviewers – it’s a 2 way process. We need to be right for you as a firm and ensure you think of any questions that are important for you to have answered.

Graduates: Application & Interview Process with

We hope that’s given you an insight into the expectations of a well-respected business which should help to prepare you for future interviews. Look out for perspectives from other top employers in the next issue.

One of Youth Employment UK’s main aims is to create positive relationships between employers and young people, and ultimately increase youth employment. It can be difficult to know what employers are looking for in the recruitment process so each issue we are giving a top employer an opportunity to give their perspective on how young people can improve their chances at interviews and set themselves apart from the average recruit. This month it’s Deloitte, one of the UK’s top consultancy and corporate finance businesses.

What sort of graduate roles do you recruit for? We recruit for a range of roles across our main service lines allowing new joiners to start careers in Audit, Tax, Consulting, Risk Consulting and Corporate Finance.

What is your graduate scheme like? Our graduate programmes are structured to ensure that our new joiners get the best possible start to the firm. All new joiners, regardless of service line, start with an in-duction period introducing them to the firm, the service line they are joining and the peers they are joining with. They then have a period of service line training to enable them to pick up the basic skills for the role before they begin to learn via on the job experience. They will be doing this alongside studying for a professional qualification which differs between service lines.

What are you really looking for from the new recruits? We look for applicants to show a good level of competence in the following areas: communication, achievement of previ-ous goals, commercial awareness, career motivation, planning and organising, adaptability and problem solving.

How many graduates typically apply? We have close to 1200 graduate roles each year and we have around 17,000 applications for these roles each year.

How do you sort through the applications you get? What makes you select/de-select at this stage?

We have a robust and fair selection process which allows us to filter our applications and recruit the right people for Deloitte. Our selection/de-selection is based on a candidate’s achievement against the tested competencies at each stage.

What is your interview process like? How should people prepare?

Our interview process is split into 2 parts; online and office based. Initially candidates need to submit an application online and if successful take part in our online numerical testing. If they pass the numerical test they will be invited to take our online e-tray which comprises of two parts – a simulated inbox exercise and a written exercise. Please note you only get invited to take the written part if you pass the inbox exercise.If you pass these online stages a candidate would be invited into the office they have applied to for a competency based first round interview. Candidates applying to consulting will also take a group exercise and on the spot case study at this stage. If candidates pass the first round they will be invited back in for a partner interview which includes both competency questions and a commercial awareness presentation.Candidates should prepare by doing as much research as possible into the firm and the service line they have applied for – there is a wealth of information available on our website – www.deloitte.co.uk/graduates. Candidates can also sign up for a buddy online who can help with any questions they have or arrange to attend a Deloitte Discovery day via our website.

What would be your top 5 tips to someone thinking of applying to work at Deloitte?

What are you looking for from the interviewees? We are looking for candidates who are strong against the competency areas detailed above. To enable this, candidates should prepare up to 2 examples for each area in advance of their interviews. As well as this candidates need to ensure they have a good motivation for the area they are applying for and feel confident to discuss these motivations with their interviewer – if you are applying for an area for which you have no motivation/understanding it will quickly be discovered.

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•Ensure you do your research and ensure you have motivation for the role before you apply; •Make use of practice online numerical tests and the resources available online for e-tray;•If you can, in advance of the interview, try to speak/meet with Deloitte people via our buddy scheme, at a Deloitte event on campus or in one of our offices;•Prepare in advance of any interviews, prepare examples for each competency area;•Prepare some questions for our interviewers – it’s a 2 way process. We need to be right for you as a firm and ensure you think of any questions that are important for you to have answered.

Graduates: Application & Interview Process with

We hope that’s given you an insight into the expectations of a well-respected business which should help to prepare you for future interviews. Look out for perspectives from other top employers in the next issue.

One of Youth Employment UK’s main aims is to create positive relationships between employers and young people, and ultimately increase youth employment. It can be difficult to know what employers are looking for in the recruitment process so each issue we are giving a top employer an opportunity to give their perspective on how young people can improve their chances at interviews and set themselves apart from the average recruit. This month it’s Deloitte, one of the UK’s top consultancy and corporate finance businesses.

We recruit for a range of roles across our main service lines allowing new joiners to start careers in Audit, Tax, Consulting, Risk Consulting and Corporate Finance.

Our graduate programmes are structured to ensure that our new joiners get the best possible start to the firm. All new joiners, regardless of service line, start with an in-duction period introducing them to the firm, the service line they are joining and the peers they are joining with. They then have a period of service line training to enable them to pick up the basic skills for the role before they begin to learn via on the job experience. They will be doing this alongside studying for a professional qualification which differs between service lines.

We look for applicants to show a good level of competence in the following areas: communication, achievement of previ-ous goals, commercial awareness, career motivation, planning and organising, adaptability and problem solving.

We have close to 1200 graduate roles each year and we have around 17,000 applications for these roles each year.

We have a robust and fair selection process which allows us to filter our applications and recruit the right people for Deloitte. Our selection/de-selection is based on a candidate’s achievement against the tested competencies at each stage.

Our interview process is split into 2 parts; online and office based. Initially candidates need to submit an application online and if successful take part in our online numerical testing. If they pass the numerical test they will be invited to take our online e-tray which comprises of two parts – a simulated inbox exercise and a written exercise. Please note you only get invited to take the written part if you pass the inbox exercise.If you pass these online stages a candidate would be invited into the office they have applied to for a competency based first round interview. Candidates applying to consulting will also take a group exercise and on the spot case study at this stage. If candidates pass the first round they will be invited back in for a partner interview which includes both competency questions and a commercial awareness presentation.Candidates should prepare by doing as much research as possible into the firm and the service line they have applied for – there is a wealth of information available on our website – www.deloitte.co.uk/graduates. Candidates can also sign up for a buddy online who can help with any questions they have or arrange to attend a Deloitte Discovery day via our website.

We are looking for candidates who are strong against the competency areas detailed above. To enable this, candidates should prepare up to 2 examples for each area in advance of their interviews. As well as this candidates need to ensure they have a good motivation for the area they are applying for and feel confident to discuss these motivations with their interviewer – if you are applying for an area for which you have no motivation/understanding it will quickly be discovered.

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The Government has highlighted the need to boost British business to compete in the global market and encouraging innovation through entrepreneurship is key to this success. But what exactly is youth enterprise, who does it affect and what support is available?

What is youth enterprise?Young entrepreneurs are 18-30 year olds from any background and education level who set up their own businesses from the conception of the initial idea to the everyday running of the business. It may be an individual or team ven-ture and while many business concepts are original, others may be an expansion or modification of a current service or product. The belief is if you have an idea then there are ways of turning it into reality.

Enterprise in RealityThere are plenty of organisations promoting entrepreneurship to young people, but how successful are these incentives? Youth Enterprise Live was the first event to bring businesses and youth organisations together to provide expertise and advice to young people. The event at Earls Court was a success with 60 organisations taking part and over 300 start-up loan applications completed; the first step towards 16-30 year olds building their own businesses. StartUp Britain tracks the number of start-up businesses and there have been over 133,000 in the UK this year, with an increasing proportion of these run by young people.

The Prince’s Trust and RBS have created the A-Z of Young Businesses to prove that through schemes such as the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme, young people can create successful businesses, no matter what their experience or financial situation.

Rich Simmons set up ‘Art is the Cure’ after securing a Prince’s Trust Grant which offers art therapy through workshops and school talks. The business has gained global recognition and five years on, hundreds of people have benefited from the workshops and Rich’s artwork has been sold in top London galleries.

Another success story is ratemyplacement.co. uk, set up by university friends, Oliver Sidwell, Ali Lindsay and Chris Wickson to offer young people a chance to gain paid internships and review their experiences. The site attracts 1.5 million visitors a year and with an annual turnover of over £1 million, this young business is an example of a great idea supported by essential funding from Sophrosyne Ventures .

Youth Enterpr ise : The Future of Br it ish BusinessYouth Enterprise has been a hot topic in the press recently after 17 year old Nick D’Aliosio sold his news summary mobile app; Summly, to Yahoo! in a multi-million deal. Nick’s story may be unusual with its high level status but he is not alone in his endeavours. Entrepreneurship is gaining popularity with young people who are opting to develop their own business ventures rather than seek employment in

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The Government has highlighted the need to boost British business to compete in the global market and encouraging innovation through entrepreneurship is key to this success. But what exactly is youth enterprise, who does it affect and what support is available?

What is youth enterprise?Young entrepreneurs are 18-30 year olds from any background and education level who set up their own businesses from the conception of the initial idea to the everyday running of the business. It may be an individual or team ven-ture and while many business concepts are original, others may be an expansion or modification of a current service or product. The belief is if you have an idea then there are ways of turning it into reality.

Enterprise in RealityThere are plenty of organisations promoting entrepreneurship to young people, but how successful are these incentives? Youth Enterprise Live was the first event to bring businesses and youth organisations together to provide expertise and advice to young people. The event at Earls Court was a success with 60 organisations taking part and over 300 start-up loan applications completed; the first step towards 16-30 year olds building their own businesses. StartUp Britain tracks the number of start-up businesses and there have been over 133,000 in the UK this year, with an increasing proportion of these run by young people.

The Prince’s Trust and RBS have created the A-Z of Young Businesses to prove that through schemes such as the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme, young people can create successful businesses, no matter what their experience or financial situation.

Rich Simmons set up ‘Art is the Cure’ after securing a Prince’s Trust Grant which offers art therapy through workshops and school talks. The business has gained global recognition and five years on, hundreds of people have benefited from the workshops and Rich’s artwork has been sold in top London galleries.

Another success story is ratemyplacement.co. uk, set up by university friends, Oliver Sidwell, Ali Lindsay and Chris Wickson to offer young people a chance to gain paid internships and review their experiences. The site attracts 1.5 million visitors a year and with an annual turnover of over £1 million, this young business is an example of a great idea supported by essential funding from Sophrosyne Ventures .

Overcoming barriersNo matter how great an idea or how enthusiastic the team behind it, there are still some barriers to success in busi-ness. According to the Disrupt Inc. project, money is cited as the most significant obstacle with costs including brand-ing, marketing and equipment. Fortunately, organisations have identified this as an important factor in the ability to set up a business and there are many start up loans and grants available for young people who need some addition-al support. Here are some of the most successful schemes:

•Rockstar Youth- An incubator programme for 18-30 year olds who want to develop their business ideas and gain support in how to progress the business further.

•The Prince’s Trust- The Enterprise Programme provides mentoring support and financial help to unemployed 18-30 year olds and allows people to test their business ideas before investing in them.

•RBS Inspiring Enterprise- Aims to improve knowledge about enterprise in young people and help develop skills and provide financial help for start-up businesses.

• Young Enterprise- An educational scheme which teaches 4-25 year olds about the business world and pre-pares them with skills to engage in enterprise themselves.•StartUp Britain- A Government funded scheme ‘run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs’ which offers support and advice for anyone with an interest in setting up their own business.

Are you intereste d in setting up your ow n business? Perhaps, you alre ady have? Have you benefitte d from a start-up scheme or do you run your own for young people? Emai l us at info@yeu k.org.u k or twe et us @YEUK2012.

Youth Enterpr ise : The Future of Br it ish BusinessYouth Enterprise has been a hot topic in the press recently after 17 year old Nick D’Aliosio sold his news summary mobile app; Summly, to Yahoo! in a multi-million deal. Nick’s story may be unusual with its high level status but he is not alone in his endeavours. Entrepreneurship is gaining popularity with young people who are opting to develop their own business ventures rather than seek employment in

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“Have you got a job yet?” “No? Any news of a job?”

This is a question family members and friends ask daily.

A view from the youth unemployed, by Jess Starns

I went to university be-cause I didn’t feel I was ready to leave education. Having dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia, I was still struggling with reading, writing, maths, so-cial skills and coordination. Whilst at University my reading, writing

and social skills improved loads. I also learnt how to re-search more in depth and to ask the right questions. I also found out what I wanted to do as a career, in my second year I did an extension studies course in museum studies. I wasn’t ready for work till I was twenty, since then I have been applying for jobs. Whilst at college on my days off I did child minding but when I got to University I couldn’t do studying and working, I spent most my time reading and writing. Now I feel I left it too late to find paid work.

I have lost count how many interviews I have had, but on average I have an interview once a week. I have lost count how many applications I have filled in, it seems a never-ending process. You cannot stop after each knock back you get, you have just got to get on with it again and think of new ways to improve. It’s depressing.

The best thing about looking for work is that sometimes you get to see some amazing places that you wouldn’t nor-mally have the opportunity to do so and you get to meet some interesting people. Some of who have helped me to find work and opportunities after I wasn’t successful.I never get negative feedback but I know I struggle to make sentences and think quickly for answers but these are prob-lems I have out of the interview environment. I’ve also been told because I look 12 people think I am still young.

I never get negative feedback but I know I struggle to make sentences and think quickly for answers but these are prob-lems I have out of the interview environment. I’ve also been told because I look 12 people think I am still young.

and look for opportunities. I am on the work choice programme with Shaw Trust. They say I am the a skill-in museums or archives and sometimes think that most motivated person they have ever met on the pro gramme. I wish I had done an apprenticeship to learn maybe going to University wasn’t the brightest thing I have done because by now I might have a full time job.

I don’t think I had any careers support when I was at school apart from our two weeks work experience in year ten, (which I found myself) I went to a photographic library in London. I remember we had a Connexions office but I don’t think I knew what they were there for. I went once to talk about what I was going to do after school but because I already had a place at college that was it. I didn’t have any expectations at school apart from I was worried about leav-ing education and not finding work I could do without help.

In November I completed the Princes Trust Team course. I cannot rate this course highly enough. The team course has given me more confidence, I made new friends in the same situation and I found out I was interested in young people’s personal development. I found out I was good at helping others and helping them find opportunities, be-ing organised, planning, ideas and research. I realised I was more employable and capable than I thought I was.

Having the support from family and friends is really im-portant. Through being unemployed I have learnt that you need to be good at research, need to be motivated and to look and ask the right questions yourself. I now believe it’s just down to luck. Since writing this I am now underem-ployed, I have been given a job working three and a half hours a week so I am still looking for fulltime employment.

Since writing this article, Jess has found employmentJess is a volunteer Youth Ambassador for Youth Em-ployment UK CIC and Laura-Jane says this about her;“Jess is a really gifted and brilliant young per-son, she demonstrates an excellent range of em-ployability skills, and she is hard working and very bright. The fact that she has committed to so many volunteering opportunities makes her a stand out candidate in my mind and yet there are still barri-ers for her. Her story is all too common and I grow more concerned for this generation”

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How do I start?Go to www.linkedin.com and follow the reg-istration process. You then get to complete a LinkedIn profile, it is really important to spend the time to make sure your profile is a qual-ity one. You don’t want potential employers reading it and then discarding you because you have not pitched yourself well or accurately.Do – Create a good, honest, succinct profileDon’t – Waffle, list your paper round from 15 years ago, make stuff up, it will come back to bite youDo – Put up a good professional photoDon’t – Put up a picture of your cat/you on a night out, it will come back to bite youDo – Take part in debates, discussions and sharing newsDon’t – Be abusive, insensitive, unprofessional or incorrect with the things you post, it will come back to bite youDo – Keep up to date and keep connecting with peopleDon’t – Create a profile and forget about it, if you do and a recruiter looks you up they may be disappointed that you have let it become out of date , it will come back to bite youThere are hundreds of blog posts on creating a good LinkedIn Profile and making the best from LinkedIn if you are looking for employ-ment, wanting to market your business or de-velop your professional reputation as an ex-pert. Whatever you need to use LinkedIn for be SMART and do it right, the payoff will make it all worthwhile.

for the Unemployed

What is LinkedIn?LinkedIn is a business orientated social networking site – “Facebook

for grownups” is a commonly used description.

Who uses LinkedIn?LinkedIn launched in 2003 and in January 2013 it exceeded the 20 mil-lion member mark. Millions of professional people use LinkedIn, from

all over the world; there are over 11 million users in the UK alone.

What do they use LinkedIn for?People use LinkedIn to keep in touch with their professional contacts,

broaden their network, join in with discussions, debates and news about things happening in their industry or areas of interest, look for

work and raise their profile and the profile of their business.

Why should a young person use LinkedIn?Firstly you must be 18 plus to create a LinkedIn profile. So for anyone

18 or over here are our top reasons to join and use LinkedIn:1 - Networking is an essential part of job hunting and career progres-sion, SMART young people will be cultivating their existing network

of contacts and be keen to make new contacts, LinkedIn is a great way to keep in touch with the people you meet professionally and expand your network (“it’s not what you know but who you know” it’s not al-

ways fair but it’s usually true).

2 - Once you have joined LinkedIn you can then join Groups, these are great places to see what people in your industry/area of interest are

talking about. For example you could join the Youth Employment UK CIC group where you will find over 700 professionals discussing youth

employment topics, sharing news stories and exchanging views. By joining in these discussions you raise your profile and can show your

expertise in the area of discussion, building up your reputation. There are over 1.3 million groups on LinkedIn so whatever area of interest

you have you will be able to find a group or 10 to match.

3 - Register for Job Alerts – Hundreds of thousands of organisations are using LinkedIn to advertise their jobs, be the first in line to receive

alerts tailored to your areas of interest.

4 - Follow Companies, you can follow any one of the million plus com-panies using LinkedIn to market their business. By following a com-pany you can make sure that you are up to date on their latest news, product launches, development, acquisitions etc. great for that ever

important research before interviews.

5 - Get Endorsed - Once you have a profile you can be endorsed by people you have worked with and worked for, this means that other professionals can see your testimonials and references, very handy

when they are recruiting.

Want to share your LinkedIn tips or even suc-cess stories, have you got work or developed an opportunity through using LinkedIn? Email us at info@yeuk.org.uk and we will share it.

This was brought to you by In-

spireEducation – A careers and employability

specialist training company. www.

i2e-education.co.uk

How and why you should be using LinkedIn

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The end of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is always a good time to re-flect on the current status of the scheme – the successes that can be built on and the issues that need to be addressed. This year is a particular important one because the government chose NAW to launch its long-awaited response to the Richard Report on the future of Apprenticeships.

So first the good news. Apprenticeships are clearly continuing to gain in pop-ularity Applications are up by over 40% year-on-year and over 13,000 new Ap-prenticeships were announced by employers during NAW. However, there is still clearly a lot of work to be done if Apprenticeships are going to gain wide-spread acceptance as a genuine alternative to University. A recent survey by the CIPD amongst parents showed that only 20% viewed Apprenticeships as being on a par with a University degree. Similarly, over 80% of respondents felt that schools were not doing enough to promote the Apprenticeship route. These are statistics which we urgently need to turn around. There is clearly now insuffi-cient careers advice in schools and that to some extent must be driving parent perception. If parents still see University as being the pinnacle to aim for and Apprenticeships as a route for those without the qualifications (or money!) to get into University, then we will be constantly fighting an uphill battle.

There is no doubt as well that the Apprenticeship “brand” has been tarnished over the last few years by a number of large training providers who whilst not doing anything illegal, have stretched the funding rules to the limits and pro-vided “Apprenticeships” which in effect were little more than validation of ex-isting skills and training, to thousands of current employees in supermarkets

So Where Next for the Great Apprenticeship Project?

and call centres. The government have made it clear that this practice will end and this has to be very good news because it means that funding and Apprenticeship places can be allocated to people who really need them.

There are two other commitments in the Richard Review response which I fully support and which I believe will help to raise the status of Apprenticeships. Firstly, the government clearly wants em-ployers to be the beating heart of the programme. But Apprenticeships will now be targeted at a skilled job which involves substantial new training and most importantly is seen as the first step in a career and a genuine opportunity to progress. Once people see that Apprentices can progress just as quickly as graduates into more senior roles within an organisation, then we really will start to have parity between the two career routes.

Secondly the government is committed to making progression to Level 2 Functional Skills in Eng-lish and Maths, a compulsory component of all Apprenticeship programmes from August 2014, thereby guaranteeing that all new Apprentices have the equivalent of GCSE A- C Grades in maths and English. Whilst I welcome this development and believe it is the only way we can seriously address the current skills crisis in the UK, there is no doubt that it will run into opposition from traditional training providers many of whom are still struggling to deliver successful Level 1 Func-tional Skills programmes.

Our experience suggests that the gap between Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Skills is significant and it will require dedicated support from fully trained practitioners to enable many learners to reach this level. Whilst we have already been successfully delivering significant numbers of Level 2 qualifications, we are not resting on our laurels and we are continuing to develop both our delivery methods and the skills of our people to ensure that we are ready for August 2014. Many training providers left it far too late to prepare for the introduction of Functional Skills and it is vitally im-portant that any organisation with a large Apprenticeship programme checks whether their provid-er is “Level 2 Ready” now rather than in 12 months time.

So there will be some significant challenges ahead in the next 12 months, but I am very confident that if the Richard Review proposals are fully implemented, then Apprenticeships will continue to grow in quality and standing and finally be seen as the important career alternative which they clearly represent.

Roger Francis is a Director with Creative Learning Partners Ltd, a new vocational training company formed by the senior managers and staff of MindLeaders Learning Services following the acquisition of the company by Skillsoft in 2012 and focusing on the delivery of Functional Skills.

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So Where Next for the Great Apprenticeship Project?

and call centres. The government have made it clear that this practice will end and this has to be very good news because it means that funding and Apprenticeship places can be allocated to people who really need them.

There are two other commitments in the Richard Review response which I fully support and which I believe will help to raise the status of Apprenticeships. Firstly, the government clearly wants em-ployers to be the beating heart of the programme. But Apprenticeships will now be targeted at a skilled job which involves substantial new training and most importantly is seen as the first step in a career and a genuine opportunity to progress. Once people see that Apprentices can progress just as quickly as graduates into more senior roles within an organisation, then we really will start to have parity between the two career routes.

Secondly the government is committed to making progression to Level 2 Functional Skills in Eng-lish and Maths, a compulsory component of all Apprenticeship programmes from August 2014, thereby guaranteeing that all new Apprentices have the equivalent of GCSE A- C Grades in maths and English. Whilst I welcome this development and believe it is the only way we can seriously address the current skills crisis in the UK, there is no doubt that it will run into opposition from traditional training providers many of whom are still struggling to deliver successful Level 1 Func-tional Skills programmes.

Our experience suggests that the gap between Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Skills is significant and it will require dedicated support from fully trained practitioners to enable many learners to reach this level. Whilst we have already been successfully delivering significant numbers of Level 2 qualifications, we are not resting on our laurels and we are continuing to develop both our delivery methods and the skills of our people to ensure that we are ready for August 2014. Many training providers left it far too late to prepare for the introduction of Functional Skills and it is vitally im-portant that any organisation with a large Apprenticeship programme checks whether their provid-er is “Level 2 Ready” now rather than in 12 months time.

So there will be some significant challenges ahead in the next 12 months, but I am very confident that if the Richard Review proposals are fully implemented, then Apprenticeships will continue to grow in quality and standing and finally be seen as the important career alternative which they clearly represent.

Roger Francis is a Director with Creative Learning Partners Ltd, a new vocational training company formed by the senior managers and staff of MindLeaders Learning Services following the acquisition of the company by Skillsoft in 2012 and focusing on the delivery of Functional Skills.

14

15

16

17

Youth Employment UK CIC is a not for profit organisation working hard to fight youth unemployment and underemployment in the

UK.

We are the only campaigning and membership organisation in the UK that works with Employers, Educators, Providers and Young People bringing a “joined up approach” to creating a

Youth Friendly UK

Benefits to joining Youth Employment UK CIC • Support a national organisation working to fight youth unemployment &

underemployment • Access to online forums & best practice documents

• Editorial space in the Youth Employment NEWS magazine • Free promotion of events, opportunities and training activities (*)

• Inclusion in the members directory • Member rates at events

• Use of Youth Employment UK logo, a growing brand recognised by young people & employers

• Contribute to national lobbying voice on youth employment issues

All of our members must agree to signing the Positive Youth Charter before membership is accepted. Membership rates start at just £75.00 per year. For

more information on Youth Employment UK CIC, our members and projects so far please visit www.yeuk.org.uk

To make membership or sponsorship enquiries please email info@yeuk.org.uk

(*) this is subject to limitations and advertisements meeting the YEUK criteria

www.yeuk.org.uk

18

PA I D vsInternships are an almost inevitable element

in many 16-25 year old’s path to employment, and com-petition has become fierce in securing a position on a coveted internship

scheme. In a job market with a significant imbalance in the vacancies to applicants ratio, internships have become the accepted route to the elusive ‘dream job’ many young people aspire to.

Employers now expect applicants to display a high level of experience and knowledge in their chosen profession and for many sectors, the internship is the only option to achieve these expectations.

But, how worthwhile are these schemes in reality? Do young people really acquire invaluable insights, or is it repackaged work ex-perience with companies profiting from individuals without any promise of travel expenses, let alone a full-time position at the end of the placement?

Holly Motion and Fran Daly weigh in on this debate, and they are pulling no punches. Will it be a knockout, or is the internship issue going to continue for a few more rounds?

For- In the red corner: Daly

They give you a chance to experience a new job sector or business

Internships have become a pre-requisite for graduates looking to access their future profession, if I can’t get onto an internship then what happens to me?

They do not require the same amount of responsibility and are

generally more flexible to fit around your other commitments

At least with ‘paid work experi-ence’ your costs are still covered if the week has been unhelpful and has failed to aid you in your career path.

Are all employers and in-

terns aware of this? As some-

one who is not contracted,

you should NOT be forced to

work 9:00- 5:00, this is illegal.

Provide you with new skills and let you help out with lots of different projects at once. You are doing the work for free so you should have a say in what you want to achieve and ensure you are getting what you want out of the experience

Give you access to contacts who may be useful in future employment and access to internal vacancies which can-

not be applied for without experience Have you seen or taken part in an unpaid internship yourself? If so, tell us at: http://www.yeuk.org.uk/get-in-touch/

19

vs U N PA I DInternships are an almost inevitable element

in many 16-25 year old’s path to employment, and com-petition has become fierce in securing a position on a coveted internship

scheme. In a job market with a significant imbalance in the vacancies to applicants ratio, internships have become the accepted route to the elusive ‘dream job’ many young people aspire to.

Employers now expect applicants to display a high level of experience and knowledge in their chosen profession and for many sectors, the internship is the only option to achieve these expectations.

But, how worthwhile are these schemes in reality? Do young people really acquire invaluable insights, or is it repackaged work ex-perience with companies profiting from individuals without any promise of travel expenses, let alone a full-time position at the end of the placement?

Holly Motion and Fran Daly weigh in on this debate, and they are pulling no punches. Will it be a knockout, or is the internship issue going to continue for a few more rounds?

Against – In the blue corner: Motion

How willing are these “employers” to provide a reference?

Other than the “invaluable experience”, how can this intern-

ship aid your career prospects?

Provide you with new skills and let you help out with lots of different projects at once. You are doing the work for free so you should have a say in what you want to achieve and ensure you are getting what you want out of the experience

Give you access to contacts who may be useful in future employment and access to internal vacancies which can-

not be applied for without experience

Access: yes, but thousands of interns surely means no real connections are made?

You may receive more support than paid intern-

ships as they should be giving you good incen-

tives to stay despite a lack of wage

You may be expected to take on someone else’s en-tire workload or, worse still, ignored entirely.

Paid internships are very competitive but unpaid schemes are

more accessible and can get you experience with some really suc-

cessful businesses How easy is it really to get onto unpaid internships? Thousands now compete for these places; thus, making them as competitive as the paid positions. If the internship isn't working out, you can leave or move onto a differ-

ent scheme more easily

Have you seen or taken part in an unpaid internship yourself? If so, tell us at: http://www.yeuk.org.uk/get-in-touch/

20

YEUK have built a strong relationship with Rockstar Youth, the UK’s top mentoring and funding or-ganisation for young entrepreneurs. The organisation supports thousands of young people in setting up their own businesses and believes that investing in people at the start of their career will help strength-en British business in the future.

For those of our readers who don’t already know, could you give a brief his-tory of Rockstar Youth and how you work?

Rockstar Youth was established 2 years ago as a platform to support young entrepreneurs get onto the business ladder with business incubators, funding and mentoring. In 2012 Rockstar Youth was appoint-ed a National Delivery Partner of the government's Start Up Loan Programme and offers up to £10,000 funding to launch and scale a business and provide unrivaled mentoring by Rockstar Mentors. The pro-gramme is straightforward, simply apply online and answer 4 questions, attend a business incubator where you work on refining your business and learn key tips in succeeding with a start up business. Get a decision on your application and once approved you draw-down your funds and start your mentoring.

Could you tell us some of your successes since your creation, please?

Aside from securing a major government contract, we have helped over 500 businesses start up and lent in excess of £2.5m; some of our young cohorts have gone national and are already developing six figure deals.

What is it about YEUK that first, attracted your interest, and second, made you want to support the organisation?

I actually sit on the Advisory Board for Youth Employment UK. Whilst Rockstar Youth focuses on de-veloping the next wave of entrepreneurs we are also conscious that part of the success of these businesses is the employees. Youth Employment UK has a charter to support the recruitment of young people and a mandate for young people to commit to their own personal development. These values sit perfectly with Rockstar Youth and we feel that we can really contribute to the campaign that YEUK is running.

For more information, visit www.rockstaryouth.co.uk

We spoke to one of their founders to explain who they are and how

they can support YOU.

21

After realising that my CV was looking a little bare, I decided that I needed to get some more experience

and more importantly, a bit of money to keep me afloat. Armed with a stack of CVs, I distributed them

to every business I could think of from cafes to shops, offices to farm shops. Living in a small town

without a car and access to limited public transport became considerably restrictive and the phrase

‘Sorry we don’t have any vacancies’ became a familiar one. The cost to commute elsewhere, especially

to London, is beyond my means so the job search continues….

When I finished school, I wanted to earn money straight away and didn’t fancy spending thousands a

year for a university course for the sake of it. However, with businesses reluctant to employ new work-

ers, and a string of unsuccessful applications, I decided to take a job in a supermarket and save up to

go travelling. I had a great time and it was the best choice I could have made as I secured a place as an

apprentice electrician when I returned and am finally on my way to being fully trained and earning a

decent wage.

Whilst I would love to say that I could credit my employment during my breaks in education to the

strength of my CV and ability to submit it to every vacancy I have seen. I must admit that nepotism is

the reason that I have been able to work 9-5 during vacations. I am one of the fortunate ones, but am

well aware that, in the post-uni search I will struggle to be as lucky.

Want to share your thoughts and experiences of youth employment? Whether you are are a young

person, employer or educator we would love to hear from you, email us at info@yeuk.org.uk

Letters Page

22

Higher education isn't for everyone; for young people who would prefer to gain direct experience with a business than apply for university, apprenticeships may be the answer. Apprenticeships do not require the same level of qualifications or experi-ences as other schemes so can be ideal for people who have talent and skills to offer a company regardless of their academic background. We asked Denis Sampson, who has recently completed an apprenticeship, to reveal his experiences and provide some advice for anyone who feels they could benefit from a similar scheme.

A p p r e n t i c e s h i p i n t e r v i e w

I aim to start an entry-level role at a start-up company in the digital marketing industry, as I wish to continue devel-oping my knowledge and practical experience.I believe the pace of work at a start-up makes it a fantastic place to learn an incredible amount about my craft, as well as offering big opportunities for advancement and growth.

What is your back-ground, how did you get on at school, did you go to College, what where/are your career ambi-tions?

In my younger years, I loved going to school for both the social and educational elements. I always excelled in practical-based subjects such as Physical education and music, as I found them both engaging. I left school with nine GCSEs, which surprised my family and teachers as they felt I was not focused enough. College was a good social experience for me, as the approach to learning was completely different to that in school. This really tested my ability to organise my work and time effectively. But in the first year I was expelled from the college, which affected my relationship with my Mother as she believed I was doing well with my stud-ies. I then went on to study a national diploma in business studies at another institution, where I achieved two distinctions and one merit. I have never had a solid career path, so to now have a sense of direction sym-bolises how far as a person I have come.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?After deciding to drop out university, the only option I felt was available for me was to find a full time job. Day by day I began to realise my job didn’t fulfil me mentally, and I needed a fresh, exciting challenge. I wanted a job that allowed me to express my skills freely and creatively, a job that empowered me and a job that would allow me to progress professionally. I would say Livity Advantage was my wake up call, as well as that bit of luck I had always hoped for.

How did you find your apprenticeship, what was the process like, did you have to have certain qualification, experience, was there an interview?

I was informed about the course by my partner, who was part of last year's cohort. I immediately decided to apply, mainly just to see how far the course would take me. One key feature of the course that stood out for me was the non-gradu-ate status the applicant had to meet to be eligible. This completely smashed the traditional barriers to access for most courses, which highlights how unique this course is. Experience was not compulsory as the advantage course aimed to encourage ‘digital natives’ to apply. This I believe made all applicants feel equal.

Do you get much support from your em-ployer, training provider?

I have received overwhelming support and guidance from both my employer and training provider, which has motivated me to exceed their expectations and repay their faith in me. To be part of such a innovative and life-changing experience, put together by an ingenious organisation like Livity, makes me extremely appreciative for the time, energy and resources which they have invested in me. I am proud to say that I not only represent myself and my family, but I also represent Livity and The Guardian.

Do you enjoy being an apprentice?In comparison to before I started, I can genuinely say that I thoroughly enjoy being an apprentice. This life-changing experience has reignited my motivation to develop myself both personally and professionally. The apprentice role has also outlined the path I wish to pursue and allowed me to set myself personal goals/targets I aim to meet and exceed.

What are your plans for when your appren-ticeship is complete?

What advice would you give to someone thinking about starting an apprenticeship?

Don't procrastinate and create excuses for not applying, as in the near future you will surely regret not taking that step out of your comfort zone. If full time education does not compliment and bring out your skills naturally, I believe the combination of theory and practical work an apprenticeship brings will motivate you to express and develop your creative traits. It’s all about building a foundation for the future you desire.

23

Higher education isn't for everyone; for young people who would prefer to gain direct experience with a business than apply for university, apprenticeships may be the answer. Apprenticeships do not require the same level of qualifications or experi-ences as other schemes so can be ideal for people who have talent and skills to offer a company regardless of their academic background. We asked Denis Sampson, who has recently completed an apprenticeship, to reveal his experiences and provide some advice for anyone who feels they could benefit from a similar scheme.

A p p r e n t i c e s h i p i n t e r v i e w

I aim to start an entry-level role at a start-up company in the digital marketing industry, as I wish to continue devel-oping my knowledge and practical experience.I believe the pace of work at a start-up makes it a fantastic place to learn an incredible amount about my craft, as well as offering big opportunities for advancement and growth.

In my younger years, I loved going to school for both the social and educational elements. I always excelled in practical-based subjects such as Physical education and music, as I found them both engaging. I left school with nine GCSEs, which surprised my family and teachers as they felt I was not focused enough. College was a good social experience for me, as the approach to learning was completely different to that in school. This really tested my ability to organise my work and time effectively. But in the first year I was expelled from the college, which affected my relationship with my Mother as she believed I was doing well with my stud-ies. I then went on to study a national diploma in business studies at another institution, where I achieved two distinctions and one merit. I have never had a solid career path, so to now have a sense of direction sym-bolises how far as a person I have come.

After deciding to drop out university, the only option I felt was available for me was to find a full time job. Day by day I began to realise my job didn’t fulfil me mentally, and I needed a fresh, exciting challenge. I wanted a job that allowed me to express my skills freely and creatively, a job that empowered me and a job that would allow me to progress professionally. I would say Livity Advantage was my wake up call, as well as that bit of luck I had always hoped for.

I was informed about the course by my partner, who was part of last year's cohort. I immediately decided to apply, mainly just to see how far the course would take me. One key feature of the course that stood out for me was the non-gradu-ate status the applicant had to meet to be eligible. This completely smashed the traditional barriers to access for most courses, which highlights how unique this course is. Experience was not compulsory as the advantage course aimed to encourage ‘digital natives’ to apply. This I believe made all applicants feel equal.

I have received overwhelming support and guidance from both my employer and training provider, which has motivated me to exceed their expectations and repay their faith in me. To be part of such a innovative and life-changing experience, put together by an ingenious organisation like Livity, makes me extremely appreciative for the time, energy and resources which they have invested in me. I am proud to say that I not only represent myself and my family, but I also represent Livity and The Guardian.

In comparison to before I started, I can genuinely say that I thoroughly enjoy being an apprentice. This life-changing experience has reignited my motivation to develop myself both personally and professionally. The apprentice role has also outlined the path I wish to pursue and allowed me to set myself personal goals/targets I aim to meet and exceed.

Don't procrastinate and create excuses for not applying, as in the near future you will surely regret not taking that step out of your comfort zone. If full time education does not compliment and bring out your skills naturally, I believe the combination of theory and practical work an apprenticeship brings will motivate you to express and develop your creative traits. It’s all about building a foundation for the future you desire.

24

Aspirational BritainA report carried out by the U.K. Commission for Employment and Skills showed that over a third of

teenagers are interested in just 10 occupations. These included roles such as acting and professional sports, and professions such as teaching, law, medicine and psychology. Worrying still is that the la-

bour market is not predicting the number of jobs or growth in these.

When we talk about raising aspirations how high do we want the bar set, and at what cost? I was at a recent meeting with a range of manufacturing companies; we were discussing the recruitment issues they have from a

lack of qualified technical staff through to a lack of applicants for their production/operation roles, we know they are not alone in this.

It got me to question why it is that people don’t want to “just” work in a factory despite good pay, on the job training and the po-tential for career progression. Once upon a time the goal was having a job and living independently. People took pride in working, and

were happy that their job was in some way important to society.

Last year I was at a youth unemployment debate, Justin King the CEO of Sainsbury’s was on the panel. A young member of the audience told him that she was turned down by Sainsbury’s for a job ”just shelf stacking” and she had a degree, what chance did other people have? Justin King replied curtly it is not “just” shelf stacking,

each and every one of his staff is essential to the success of the organisation and every job is important.

When we talk about raising aspirations another factor to consider is research conducted by Flouri et al, suggesting that children with high aspirations and a socio-economic environment that was disconnected to the aspiration were at a high risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) post education. By promoting such high aspirations we under-

mine any job that is not seen as “aspirational”.

I am not squashing ambition and high aspiration, what I am suggesting is that we need balance, better information and a society that values every job and every person.My first job straight from school was working in a curtain shop, I knew that working in a curtain shop was not my life’s ambition; I did not know what I wanted to do. But I wanted to work and live independently; I worked hard, learnt the job inside out and made sure I added value. After a period of time I was ready to move on and find a job on the next rung of my career ladder. This is exactly what happened and what I continued to do. I have had a great career doing lots of interesting things, some I enjoyed more than others and now I am doing something that

I love, that utilises all of the skills and experience I have built up and I hope is also making a difference.

Ask most people what their first job was and I doubt you will find many that started out in their perfect career straight from education. A career is a journey, a series of jobs, opportuni-ties, successes and failures and that’s the fun part. We can all reach for the stars but better if we do so with an understanding of reality and a plan b, and we certainly should not devalue

people who choose to “just” shelf stack, work in our factories, care homes or cafes, just imagine life without them.

Pop stars, footballers, entrepreneurs, doctors, journalists, the aspira-tions of our young people today. But is this good for Britain or for them?

“Once upon a time the goal was having a job and living independently.”

25

Aspirational BritainA report carried out by the U.K. Commission for Employment and Skills showed that over a third of

teenagers are interested in just 10 occupations. These included roles such as acting and professional sports, and professions such as teaching, law, medicine and psychology. Worrying still is that the la-

bour market is not predicting the number of jobs or growth in these.

When we talk about raising aspirations how high do we want the bar set, and at what cost? I was at a recent meeting with a range of manufacturing companies; we were discussing the recruitment issues they have from a

lack of qualified technical staff through to a lack of applicants for their production/operation roles, we know they are not alone in this.

It got me to question why it is that people don’t want to “just” work in a factory despite good pay, on the job training and the po-tential for career progression. Once upon a time the goal was having a job and living independently. People took pride in working, and

were happy that their job was in some way important to society.

Last year I was at a youth unemployment debate, Justin King the CEO of Sainsbury’s was on the panel. A young member of the audience told him that she was turned down by Sainsbury’s for a job ”just shelf stacking” and she had a degree, what chance did other people have? Justin King replied curtly it is not “just” shelf stacking,

each and every one of his staff is essential to the success of the organisation and every job is important.

When we talk about raising aspirations another factor to consider is research conducted by Flouri et al, suggesting that children with high aspirations and a socio-economic environment that was disconnected to the aspiration were at a high risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) post education. By promoting such high aspirations we under-

mine any job that is not seen as “aspirational”.

I am not squashing ambition and high aspiration, what I am suggesting is that we need balance, better information and a society that values every job and every person.My first job straight from school was working in a curtain shop, I knew that working in a curtain shop was not my life’s ambition; I did not know what I wanted to do. But I wanted to work and live independently; I worked hard, learnt the job inside out and made sure I added value. After a period of time I was ready to move on and find a job on the next rung of my career ladder. This is exactly what happened and what I continued to do. I have had a great career doing lots of interesting things, some I enjoyed more than others and now I am doing something that

I love, that utilises all of the skills and experience I have built up and I hope is also making a difference.

Ask most people what their first job was and I doubt you will find many that started out in their perfect career straight from education. A career is a journey, a series of jobs, opportuni-ties, successes and failures and that’s the fun part. We can all reach for the stars but better if we do so with an understanding of reality and a plan b, and we certainly should not devalue

people who choose to “just” shelf stack, work in our factories, care homes or cafes, just imagine life without them.

Pop stars, footballers, entrepreneurs, doctors, journalists, the aspira-tions of our young people today. But is this good for Britain or for them?

“reach for the stars but better if we

do so with an understanding

of reality”

26

Opening Doors was created 5 years ago by the MD of Silver Skills (Training and Events company), Dayna Silverman. Now, Dayna may indeed be a small person but this was a very BIG idea. Whilst speaking to young people, she realised that many either didn’t know what careers were available to them or they believed that they could walk into a job of their desire straight after educa-tion, and to make it worse, they thought they would be earning 30k plus. She knew that she had to do something to help and so, seeing as she was all out of magic wands, she created the Opening Doors Event.

for Young People and Employers

The next

Opening Doors event promises to

be even better when it arrives at Salford Stadium in

Manchester on July 3rd. For more information please go to www.open-

ing-doors.org or email the team info@open-ing-doors.org

Opening Doors are an active and supportive member of Youth Employment UK CIC.

The Opening Doors events are designed to showcase a wide variety of career opportunities and direct routes into work; giving young people between the ages of 15-25 the chance to speak to businesses within a relaxed environment. Whether it’s finding out exactly what employers look for on a CV, a company’s many career paths or just simply how to stand out from the crowd.

The first event introduced 500 students to 20 businesses and just 3 years later 2000 students spoke to over 50 business-es... Who needs a wand?

27

Upcoming EventsRunning an event that aims to support youth unemployment? Let us know

and we will share it here.

When What Who How16th April Youth Enterprise Nation 2013 Tour

-Glasgow16-30 year

oldsReg for free tickets – www.

youthenterprisenation.co.uk

19th April Youth Enterprise Nation 2013 Tour -Newcastle

16-30 year olds

Reg for free tickets – www.youthenterprisenation.

co.uk

23rd April Youth Enterprise Nation 2013 Tour -Liv-erpool

16-30 year olds

Reg for free tickets – www.youthenterprisenation.

co.uk

23rd April Youth Employment UK - Employability Excellence Workshop

Schools, Busi-nesses and Providers

info@yeuk.org.uk

8th – 9th May

Youth Employment Convention Businesses http://www.cesi.org.uk/events/youth-employ-

ment-convention

10th May Youth Enterprise Nation 2013 Tour -Leeds

16-30 year olds

Reg for free tickets – www.youthenterprisenation.

co.uk

13th – 14th May

UK Youth – Network Conference Amble-side Conference focus is on Youth Em-

ployment

Youth Or-ganisations

http://routingforyouth.eventbrite.co.uk/

15th May Islington Community Fair – Meet em-ployers, apprenticeship providers, careers

advisers

16-24 year olds

Just turn up between 11am – 3:30pm or tweet @Isling-

tonCEA

23rd May Youth Enterprise Nation 2013 Tour -Coventry

16-30 year olds

Reg for free tickets – www.youthenterprisenation.

co.uk

5th June National Vocational Qualifications Day

5th June Pathways to Employment Youth or-ganisations &

Employers

http://www.employment-pathways.org.uk/

28

•Are you 16-24?•Does youth unemployment or underemployment worry or af-

fect you?•Are you unsure about your next step and how to make sense of

all of the choices and information available?•Do you feel like your voice is not being heard?

Then join Youth Employment UK CIC, get involved and support a national campaigning or-ganisation working hard to fight youth unemployment in the UK

Joining is free to 16-24 year old and membership includes:

One place where you can keep up to date with youth employment newsA clear impartial signposting service (there are over 729,000,000 resources on google for ca-reers information), at YEUK young people can get the basic what, how, when, why and where

and then be signposted back out to the websites and organisations most relevant to themSign Up to our charter

Contribute to national campaigns and ensure your voice is heardEnter Youth Employment UK Competitions

Access to the O2 Think Big ProgrammeSubscription to the monthly Youth Employment NEWS e-magazine

*COMING SOON*

Database of “Youth Friendly” EmployersJoin the Regional Youth Committees

ForumVideos

Case Studies

Youth Unemployment is an issue for every young person in the UK and through our growing campaign you can get involved and help us make the UK more “Youth

Friendly”

If we can get thousands of young people to Step Up and sign the Positive Youth Charter we can show the UK that young people are invested in this issue and inspire employers and youth or-

ganisations to do the same.

Join us at www.yeuk.org.uk

29

Celebrity’s first jobs Even some of our greatest A Lister’s had to start some-

where less than Hollywood glamorous:Tom Jones – Worked in a glove factory

Leona Lewis – A secretaryJustin King – Paper round

David Cameron – Was a researcherSir David Attenborough – National Service

Weird Job AnagramNormal Tie is an anagram for which unusual job?

Clue – A cast member from the 2012 film Hairspray can boast that this was his “before he was famous job”

Strange but true

These are some real jobs that people actually make a living from (thanks to www.jobprofiles.org):

•Odour Tester•Hair boiler

•Citrus Fruit Dryer•Fortune Cookie Writer•Professional Whistler

Just for fun

30

In our next issue•Are you “Youth Friendly”? – The launch of the Youth Friendly badge

•Digital “Bad Hair” Days•Starting a Franchise business

•Traineeships•Nuskoolfathers

•Girls V’s Boys how relevant is the gender gap?•Where are the jobs?

Ask the expertsBefore our next edition you can ask our panel of experts questions on:

Entrepreneurship – From starting a business to selling one our expert Ketan Mekwana will be answering any entrepreneur/business related questions

Careers – Not sure what career or how to break into a career? Then ask your ca-reers question to our InspireEducation Careers Expert Simon Bason

Employability – How do you stand out, find a job, and make sure you have what employers are looking for? Ask our Employability Coach David Schindler

Email us your question before the 14th of May and we will post as many as we can with the answers from our expert in our next Youth Employment NEWS

31

The information contained in this e-Magazine is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Youth Employment UK CIC and guest editors/blog producers and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the e-Magazine or the information, products, services, or related graph-ics contained in the magazine for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.Any views expressed here are not necessarily endorsed by Youth Employment UK CIC, Youth Employment News, Inspire-2Exceed, Advertisers, Webmaster or any individuals or organisations.Links outside of Youth Employment UK (external links) are provided for user convenience and do not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Youth Employment UK.All articles on our site are copyrighted material by the authors to include any graphics that are included with them. Photo-graphs are also copyrighted. If you, the reader, have any grievances with any material that is posted on this site, you are responsible for contacting the author in question.This disclaimer is subject to change without notice.

To contact Youth Employment UK CIC

Business & School membership: ljr@yeuk.org.uk

Volunteer Youth Ambassadors: info@yeuk.org.uk

To ask for an advertising rate card or to speak about magazine content: info@yeuk.org.uk

Visit: www.yeuk.org.uk Or Call: 08444 143101

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