Dormant Accounts Youth Employment

Dormant Accounts Youth Employment Statement of Intent The new £90 million dormant accounts youth fund will be invested in programmes to address ethnic disparities in youth employment and to help young people facing barriers to work to reach their full potential. It is being designed by Big Lottery Fund, in collaboration with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The design of this programme is being informed by learning from the government’s Race Disparity Audit and evidence of the barriers, which hold young people back and what works to overcome them, including learning from the Big Lottery Fund’s current Talent Match programme.

The Engagement Phase Questions Who are the Young People? What is Success and How can it be Measured? What do we need to Deliver? What should our Structures look like? What should our Funding Models look like? Activity Youth Engagement Events Stakeholder Events Online Surveys

I AM A YOUNG person NOT A LABEL This list is to help us understand who the Young People could be, it is not a checklist, nor an eligibility criteria – it’s aim is to “paint a picture” of young people’s experiences: It is likely that the Young People will have experienced one or more of the following: Mental ill-health Low confidence / self esteem Challenging or vulnerable family circumstances Learning or neurological disability Trauma / Abuse / Violence Prejudice based upon race, culture, health, disability, sexuality, postcode / community Negative perceptions which limit aspirations Negative experience of the school system Negative experience of the benefits / support services Low qualification levels / low numeracy or literacy levels Substance misuse Criminal activity Caring responsibilities Being vulnerably housed or homeless   I AM A YOUNG person NOT A LABEL Who are the Young People? “It’s complex…..” A multitude of barriers impact on young people and are often connected and interrelated Discrimination exacerbates and cements barriers preventing young people from progressing It is important to break down structural barriers as well as support young people with their personal challenges “Institutions need to change – don’t always expect young people to change” Personal challenges are often not disclosed until trust has been built so targeting based on these challenges does not work Many young people have chosen to avoid the benefit system and become disengaged from related services The overwhelming message was for Individualised support NOT built on a list of barriers…….

Other messages we have heard Keep Delivery Local – Organisations embedded in their communities, creating meaningful collaboration. Do not duplicate existing support. Go to young people – do not expect them to come to you. Young People at the Heart – Programmes led by young people and young people creating their own measures of success. Focus on strengths and talents, not disadvantage and need It is not just about a job – Success looks different for different people; a career, education, stability. Job targets create “easy pickings”. Holistic Support / Stop devaluing the importance of the journey - Success is more likely if the foundations are built; mental well-being, confidence building, dealing with the impact of trauma, developing life-skills and ensuring practical needs are met.. Employer Engagement is Key – It is employers who understand the market and can create opportunities. Employer engagement and commitment is essential to sustainable change. Employers need support too. Flexible & Long Term - One-to-one support lasting as long as needed should underpin programmes. Flexible support packages with different points of exit and entry, including support for young people in work. Funding which enables long term investment in a young person and in a local area. We can’t do it on our own – We need national drivers for change – “Stop blaming young people, for other people’s prejudice” Acknowledge the impact of discrimination - on young peoples’ opportunities; race, postcode, community, sexuality, mental health, disability Break down barriers – Employers and other institutions need to change their perspectives and practice, Success is not just measured by the numbers of young people into work but also by numbers of employers engaged, improved access to opportunities and increased diversity in the workplace There needs to be local structural change supported by national influence – for example, so the learning and impact from this funding leads to transformational change within JCP, local and national employer.

Next steps Advice goes to Ministers in June.   Advice goes to Ministers in June. Dependent on the steer from this, we currently envisage: Over the summer: Ongoing co-design and engagement - ensure we put young people in the lead and benefit from the input of experts and existing practice. Milestones likely to include: development of detailed plans and funding processes, planning for future communications and announcements, identifying locations where funding may be available September/October: Finalise more detailed plan Further announcements about future process