North East Local Enterprise Partnership and South Tyneside Youth Justice Service’s mentoring programme
Summary:
A joint programme between the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and South Tyneside Council offered children mentoring, work experience and exposure to positive role models from a collection of employers across South Tyneside.
Description:
The pilot programme was developed to extend the national Enterprise Adviser model into South Tyneside Youth Justice Service through employer mentoring. The programme established a small collective of employers in South Tyneside offering:
- Mentoring
- Opportunities for workplace visits
- Opportunities for work experience
- Exposure to positive role models
The pilot was delivered jointly by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, South Tyneside Youth Justice Service, South Tyneside Council, Economic Inclusion and Career Development with support from Mosaic Partners.
The project was designed to connect children and young adults with employers through one-to-one mentoring, with a focus on aspirations, opportunities for the future, the impact of lifestyle behaviours and expectations in the workplace.
There were 8 mentors from a variety of industries. Mentors were trained by specialist professionals from the local authority, which included the requirements of the programme and safeguarding issues. Mentors were then matched with children who had expressed interests in specific sectors or job roles. Sessions included conversations, site visits and direct work experience.
The key challenge for children who are engaged with the youth justice service and transitioning into careers is that they often fall outside of usual careers support programmes.
South Tyneside YJS had few formal relationships with employers, and the short-term nature of the orders children fall under prevents longer interventions. There was also a need to challenge the stigma attached to offending by children and give children more opportunities to demonstrate their skills and willingness to engage. The connections built by employment-based mentors not only provide these opportunities, but also provide positive role models and a bridge into employment or education.
Outcomes:
The programme has succeeded in providing many mentees their first experiences of work, enabling them to speak directly to employers and education providers. It has also helped to strengthen connections between children and their communities, in part by making spaces that once felt inaccessible to them more welcoming and accessible.
Contact:
| Name | Michael Edwards |
| Michael.edwards@southtyneside.gov.uk |