In her first blog since joining Career Connect, Evie Chambers, Youth Voice Co-Ordinator, gives us an update on the work we are doing to place young people’s voices at the centre of everything we do.
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I’m Evie, the Youth Voice Co-Ordinator for Career Connect.
My role is to advocate on behalf of young people across Manchester, Liverpool and Merseyside, and empower them to share their voices with us. It is vital that our young people are involved in our decision-making processes, so we can make positive change and deliver the services that young people want and need.
I’m fortunate enough to work alongside some inspiring young people who have been through hardships but are still resilient and positive.
I love that I learn new things about our young people every day and that I get to help them have their voices listened to.
Before Career Connect, I was a sixth form teacher and studied Law at University.
I believe in embracing every opportunity to make a difference in not only your life, but the lives of others too.
So, here’s what we’ve been up to recently to help young people…
What are we doing?
Finding out what Young People need
We’ve been talking to young people across Liverpool, Merseyside, Manchester and Salford, asking what’s important to them when they use our services and what other types of services they need.
They tell us easy-to-access services, friendly staff who understand their needs, and making it easier to get more help are all important factors. So too is getting to know their adviser, seeing them regularly and feeling comfortable enough to discuss any problems or concerns they have.
Helping Young People in Greater Manchester
In Greater Manchester, young people’s feedback was crucial when we developed our Connect To Your Future programme. It helps young people badly impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic who are not in education, employment or training.
In their feedback, young people told us the following was important to them:
- Consistency and the chance to build relationships
- Support and understanding to help them navigate personal difficulties
- Getting help at the right time
Young Trustees
Earlier this year, we appointed our first Young Trustees to our Board of Directors. Nina Ma and Eloise Boye are both passionate about improving the lives of young people and they are here to ensure young people’s voices are heard at every level in Career Connect.
For more information about our trustees, please click here.
Kickstart Opportunities for Young People
We’ve offered 30 places to young people as part of the Kickstart programme. The opportunities included working at Career Connect in Finance, IT, Human Resources and our community-based teams. Every young person who joined us has either continued to work for Career Connect or has found another job.
Feedback from our Kickstarters included:
“I enjoyed working at Career Connect. It helped me to develop skills and become more confident, I am starting a new job with the Civil Service and I wanted to say thank you for your help and support.”
“I have grown in confidence after having this opportunity. I now know that I want to carry on and work with other young people, to help them find work.”
What’s Coming Up?
But that’s not all we’re doing. The next few months will see more action that puts the needs of young people firmly at the heart of what we do.
A New Youth Agreement
Based on the feedback we receive from young people across the region we have developed a Youth Agreement. It will explain when, how and why we include young people in our services, and what they can expect from us.
We believe young people:
- Must (and will be) listened to.
- Have the right to have a say in the services we deliver.
- Are equally entitled to have a voice in what we do.
Look out for our Youth Agreement which will be on our website soon.
Youth Voice Ambassadors – Applications Opening Soon
In September we’ll be inviting young people from across the region to become one of our Youth Voice Ambassadors. Each ambassador will play a role in helping to develop our services, so that we provide the support that young people need. Watch this website and our social media channels for more news coming soon.
How can you help?
We want to hear from young people to learn more what is important to and how we can make our services better.
Do you have an idea, feedback or suggestion? To share your views and find out how you can get involved in our Youth Voice work, please email Evie Chambers [email protected].
Download a PDF copy of the Career Connect Youth Activity Newsletter using the button below.
