Niacro

Youth Employability Programme

The Youth Employability Programme supports young people aged 15 to 17 who are involved with the youth justice system and/or excluded from mainstream education.   The programme helps them undertake education, training or employment.  It is a partnership between NIACRO, the Probation Service and the Youth Justice Agency.

The young people on the programme may have been excluded from education, disengaged from training, and face many barriers in getting employment.  A high percentage of them are seen as at high risk of offending or re-offending. In spite of this, an average of 70% of participants each year go on to education, training or employment.

At their initial assessment interview, a young person on the project will discuss their training, education or employment options, and will later agree an employability action plan.   One of NIACRO’s Training Officers will give the young person individual support throughout their time on the programme.  This could include help with:

• Making contact with careers service, training providers and potential employers.
• Information and guidance on training and employment options.
• Increasing their employability skills.
• How to disclose a conviction to employers.
• Preparation for entering training or employment.

The Youth Employability programme covers Greater Belfast, Carrickfergus, Downpatrick, Lisburn, Newtownabbey and North Down. If you’d like to know more about Youth Employability, contact:

NIACRO has worked to help young people increase their employability for many years.  A recent pilot programme was Reconnect, a project which ran from 2004 to 2006.  In an external evaluation of Reconnect in 2006, a probation worker described it as “a lifeline for my clients…[Reconnect] succeeded where no other agency, including my own, could.”  A young person described Reconnect as “well sound”.  The evaluator identified some aspects of the programme which made it successful, including the commitment of the project worker and tutors, pitching training at the right level and in the right way, sensitive group work, and using local venues.  Much of this learning has been incorporated into the development of Youth Employability.