Posted 29th March 2023
Social Value UK has forged a new partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company to boost youth employment and apprenticeship opportunities.
The number of 16-18 year olds Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs) currently stands at 6.4%, one of the lowest levels ever recorded, according to the Office for National Statistics.
But this figure masks a slight fall (0.9 percentage points) in the number of school leavers continuing in education or starting apprenticeships.
There are concerns young people are leaving education without a clear career pathway.
The government-founded Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) runs career hubs to assist schools in having meaningful conversations with employers, colleges and apprenticeship providers.
The leads and coordinators identify links between education and skills to particular jobs, and provide one-to-one personal guidance.
However, hub staff can find it difficult to outline to organisations what the benefits of providing employment and training to young people are.
Social Value UK co-CEO Crispen Sachikonye said: “We are designing a programme that will equip the hub leads and coordinators with the language and confidence to speak about social value.
“This will bolster their ability to engage with employers who, through mechanisms such as SROI, will be able to measure the impact of taking on apprentices and developing young staff.
“Employers will come to understand how careers education can be used to develop their future workforces and sustain their business.
“This training programme is an excellent example of how social value can be used as a positive measure to improve outcomes for both employer and employee, while benefitting the wider community.
“We are delighted to be providing this training. Our ambition is that by spreading the message of social value accounting, both employers and young people can reap the rewards.”
For more information contact: [email protected]