Supporting futures, one opportunity at a time

Written by Paul Akroyd, Head of Volunteering and Employability at FareShare Midlands

Starting out in the world of work can be exciting, but it can also be daunting. For many young people across Birmingham, finding that first job is becoming harder than ever.

Birmingham faces the highest amount of unemployment, deprivation and poor health in the country, with almost one in three adults out of work in certain areas (BBC). Many of these issues can be improved by good skills and training support for people and families in the region.

When young people grow up in deprived households, like 61 per cent of children in Birmingham do (Birmingham City Observatory), opportunities and the confidence to reach them can become limited. Finding a stable job can help alleviate the pressures on health and finances not only for the individual, but for the family and the wider community they live in.

A recent report from The Rigby Foundation and The Sir Peter Rigby Charitable Trust highlights the challenges young people are facing. The report says, “over one million 16-24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training, the highest level in over a decade.”

They have found the biggest issue not to be their willingness or ability to work - 30 per cent of these young people have good GCSE results - but rather what is holding them back is the troubling fact that entry-level jobs have fallen by almost 50 per cent and there is now a lack of opportunities to gain real work experience with employers. The job market is increasingly difficult to navigate for people unfamiliar with its inner workings and motivation to persevere can be hard to find.

Reading the report, I couldn't help but think about the young people I've met through my work at FareShare Midlands.

Many of them are eager to work. They want to learn and create a better future for themselves. What they may need can be the development of specific, industry-based skills, but often they are crucially missing an opportunity. Someone to give them a chance, to listen, and to believe in what they can achieve.

As Head of Employability and Volunteering at FareShare Midlands, I've seen how much difference that first opportunity can make. Whether it's through volunteering, learning a new skill, or simply feeling like part of a team, small steps can lead to life-changing outcomes. Confidence grows, new friendships are made, and people begin to see what's possible for their future.

At FareShare Midlands, we're proud to play a part in the change that is happening in the area. Through our collaborations with organisations like The King’s Trust and Birmingham City University, as well as government programmes like the Youth Jobs Guarantee, we are opening the door to employment for hundreds who have struggled to do it on their own.

We currently run several programmes from our Sir Peter Rigby Coronation Food Hub in Birmingham that young people can access as the first steppingstone into work.

From our Root2Rise programme, offering forklift truck training, or our new kitchen pathway scheme, boosting potential hospitality and catering careers, we have so much to offer in one location for each person to choose what is right for them.

Our Connect to Work programme, managed by Birmingham City Council, is all about helping people overcome health-related barriers to enable them to enter, return or to remain in work. Collaborating with Learning Plus in our warehouse lets us provide further forklift truck qualifications and training with professional instructors. Fueling Futures, funded by PepsiCo, sees us deliver workshops to our members in the community across the Midlands to assist with employability skills, wellbeing and financial tips.

There are a number of different journeys young people can take with our dedicated teams to strengthen their futures and take the first step to becoming independent adults.

In our Coronation Food Hub, we have incredible staff that support people every day. They don't just provide practical help with CVs and interviews, they create a welcoming space where people from all types of backgrounds can feel valued and encouraged to work through their problems and get started in employment. Staff even keep in touch as people progress through the highs and lows of the rest of their careers.

Through our SkillsShare programmes we have worked with over 2000 people and put a quarter of those into employment, education, or training. That’s 2000 people who have done the hardest part of the process: the start.

Constantly, we see that when people are given the opportunity to take the next step in their lives, they can achieve amazing things, and we are proud of the milestones all of our participants achieve with the help of our employability staff and the employers that give them a chance.

We know that no organisation can tackle youth unemployment on its own. But when businesses, charities, schools and local communities come together, we can help more young people thrive. Something as simple as offering work experience, mentoring, or volunteering can open a door that changes someone's life.

Every young person deserves the chance to discover what they're capable of.

Whether you are a young person that needs a helping hand with your job search, or an employer looking to add someone skilled to your workforce, our teams of knowledgeable and experienced staff are waiting to support you through the journey.

Visit our website to find out more or to apply to our programmes.