Jonathan Townsend: Helping hand for young that pays off for everyone

AT times of great political change, it's vital that we ensure our younger generation are safeguarded.
Prince Charles remains an inspiration to out-of-work youngsters.Prince Charles remains an inspiration to out-of-work youngsters.
Prince Charles remains an inspiration to out-of-work youngsters.

As a youth focused charity, The Prince’s Trust works to give young people opportunities to take control of their lives, provide job opportunities and help build confidence.

New research has revealed that the economy in Yorkshire and the Humber has gained a significant boost through the charity’s work.

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Research by NEF Consulting highlighted that The Trust has returned £116m in value to society in Yorkshire and the Humber over the last 10 years.

An amazing accomplishment, but how was this achieved?

By moving young people out of unemployment and into employment, entrepreneurship and education, all of which ultimately benefits the economy.

The findings form part of a report which looks at the Trust in its 40th year. I’m proud to be part of a charity which can say that since 1976 it has supported some 825,000 disadvantaged young people.

With help from the Trust, three in four of these young people move into education, employment or training.

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Working at a grassroots level, the Trust generates opportunities for young people where before there might have been none.

The result is transformative. I’ve seen first-hand how these individuals have gone on to make a life for themselves while also providing a valuable financial benefit to our region.

In Yorkshire, we’ve supported some of our most vulnerable young people to get off benefits and start earning and learning, providing young people with the skills and confidence they desperately need.

I’m inspired by the stories of these young people who come to us for guidance, keen to make a change. Take Dominic for example. After experiencing a number of challenges during his early school years, Dominic, 22, felt that the absence of his father as a role model had left a huge impact on him.

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Suffering from bullying and trying to manage his depression, Dominic missed large portions of his education and became very withdrawn after finishing school.

Feeling like his future was a bleak one without work experience or relevant skills; Dominic was desperate at the thought of a future claiming JobSeekers’ Allowance.

After receiving advice from The Job Centre, which partners with The Prince’s Trust, Dominic enrolled onto The Prince’s Trust Get into Health and Social Care course which aims to support disadvantaged young people to gain sector specific skills.

The programme inspired Dominic to follow a career path where he could use his own experiences to help people with mental health problems.

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He regained his confidence and motivation, made friends and identified new goals.

Since then, Dominic has been inspired to apply to university to access a counselling degree.

Dominic is a success story but there are many other young people across Yorkshire and the Humber who still need our help.

As part of our 40th anniversary report, YouGov polled young people in the area to find out more about the support they receive and their prospects for the future.

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It was particularly revealing to find out that many young people lack support when it comes to education and finding work.

The report indicated that almost half (48 per cent) of young people in Yorkshire and the Humber said they had no support from anyone when searching for a job and over half of them (56 per cent) “rarely” or “never” receive help with their homework. The report also revealed a real correlation between social background and life chances and found that young people from poorer backgrounds are less likely than their more affluent peers to have had help writing a CV, filling out a job application, finding work experience or a first job.

It is unacceptable for young people to be locked out of jobs and other opportunities simply because of where they started in life. I’ve seen how damaging long-term unemployment can be, breeding feelings of hopelessness and even depression.

Over the last 40 years, The Prince’s Trust has been providing an alternative support network for those young people who may not have the help they need.

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In Yorkshire and the Humber alone, we support around 4,000 young people each year but with more than 60,000 young people in the region currently out of work, there’s a real danger that many of them will be left behind.

It’s a startling figure but one that our staff, partners and volunteers are prepared to tackle head on. Building a positive future means investing in our young people today, no matter where they come from.

That’s something that I know the Trust will continue to do, empowering even more young people to design their own futures and build lives they truly deserve.

Jonathan Townsend is The Prince’s Trust regional director for the North of England.