There are almost 950,000 young people in the UK (16-24) who are NEETs: Not in Education, Employment or training. They cost the UK taxpayer around £210 billion a year. 1

Every young person we can get into a job, potentially saves the country around £220,000 each.

Medway has around 500 NEETs and we work closely with the Council to help some of them into jobs. So far in Medway we have trained 57 young person and found jobs for 20 of them.

One of the largest employers in the Medway Towns, where we are based, is BAe Systems. They are investing £220 million in their Rochester site over the coming five years and creating 300 new jobs. They are our lead employer partner on this project.

The Flying Start programme will:

• Deliver hands-on awareness sessions on the aviation and aerospace industry to over 275 young people, from underrepresented communities, in schools, community spaces and ethnic minority centres across Medway.
• raise awareness of young people and their families of the diverse range of career options in this industry, and that they too can achieve success.
• Deliver some of these with input from local employers in the industry and their suppliers.
• Deliver up to 5 days of employability skills and workplace training, with input from employers. These will be delivered from employers’ premises.
• Arrange for young people to meet a number of employers who can cherry-pick any of them to do practical experience with them.
• Provide young people with 20-40 hours of meaningful practical experience with a matched employer. Some will get job offers directly from this.
• Train at least 20 young people in soft skills valued by employers. At least 10 of them will get a job, and at least 5 of them will retain their job for at least 6 months.
• Mentor and support young people to apply for and get jobs.

James is in charge of Employer engagement and will be keen to speak to employers, particularly if they have staffing issues, or can give a start in life to a deserving young person.

Deb would love to speak to any groups working with NEETs and young people from underrepresented communities, or with contacts in secondary schools teaching STEM.

Contact details

James Brumer  james.brumer@brighterfutures-si.org.uk        07850 080006

Deb Sen             deb.sen@brighterfutures-si.org.uk                   07791 956640