£5.2m Talent Match pilot
GHoPA (Mark Fenty) has represented the N E Lincs VCS (Voluntary Community Sector) organisations in their attempt to secure part of a £5.1m Big Lottery “Talent Match” Humber wide regional bid.
Successful at the 1st stage, the core partnership led by HLC (Humber Learning Consortium) are currently working hard on completing stage 2 of the bid.
The vision is that, over 5 years, Talent Match Humber will support 1,500 young people with multiple needs, aged 18-24, who are long-term unemployed, or economically inactive.
We aim to get 330 (22%) into sustained jobs or self-employment and 450 (30%) into apprenticeships or further learning / training. We are realistic that some will not achieve these outcomes, but we believe, with our support, 1200 (80%) young people will improve their ability to cope with long-term unemployment, develop greater self-confidence, and increase their sense of optimism about the future.
We will particularly target the ‘hidden third’ of long-term unemployed / economically inactive young people who are not in receipt of support and are living in 22 NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) ‘hot-spots’ in the Humber (See below). Specifically, we will target 8 thematic NEET groups:
• homeless or in temporary accommodation
• ex-offenders
• BME
• gypsies and travellers
• lone parents
• young carers
• physical and / or learning disabilities
• mental health
Through open competitive tendering processes we will engage innovative, high quality organizations and partnerships from all sectors to deliver holistic programmes of support that respond effectively to young people’s needs.
Each young person’s programme will be personalized, providing flexible entry points and pathways and variety of services and activities, including, specialist wrap-around support, such as debt advice, housing support etc. Through these activities and services, young people will be more able to secure (self) employment, take up apprenticeships, or enter further learning / training.
Talent Match Humber will act as a management hub, improving and coordinating 18-24 pathways/progression routes locally and sub-regionally and importantly, identifying and levering additional funding streams in support of our beneficiaries, Through a strategic partnership approach.
We will operate in a complementary way to other agencies, programmes, and networks working with unemployed young people, e.g. Job Centre Plus, Work Programme, Youth Contract, Future Hull, etc.
We will consciously balance our programme’s focus between the supply and demand-side, working pro-actively with Talent Match and other learning & skills providers to improve access, drive up quality (of training opportunities), and ensure relevance to local labour markets. At the same time, we will engage extensively with cross-sector employers to secure relevant and stimulating work experience, structured volunteering placements, supported and meaningful employment opportunities, and apprenticeship vacancies. We will also strive to improve employer and media perceptions of long-term unemployed young people.
The funding will allow many grassroots young people’s agencies across the Humber regions of Hull, East Riding, North and North East Lincolnshire to work in local partnerships to provide innovative packages of support to young people who need it the most.
It is hoped that soon documentation will be available to all those interested in providing meaningful support packages helping young people into paid work, training or enterprise.
The advice form Mark is to visit the website link below to express an interest and register to receive the Humber Learning Consortium newsletter which will inform you automatically of updated news and new opportunities. http://www.hlc-vol.org/learning/training-news.