Education opportunities for Bristol's young people
• Major conference identifies education needs for disadvantaged young people in Bristol
• Prince’s Trust ‘Journey from Education to Employment’ conference supported by Santander
Businesses and the education system should work more closely together to help vulnerable young people in Bristol develop skills to help them develop and prepare for employment, according to The Prince’s Trust and Santander which ran a ‘Journey from Education to Employment’ conference in the city yesterday (29 April).
The youth charity’s conference brought together local employers, schools and major businesses, including Santander, to discuss the type of support young people – who may have been excluded or dropped out of the mainstream education system – need.
From discussions on how employers can work with schools to prepare for the world of work to the perceptions of vocational training and qualifications, the event covered a young person’s educational journey and the conditions needed for success.
The Prince’s Trust runs a series of xl clubs, which supports 13-19 year olds who are at risk of truanting or underachieving at school, promoting a flexible learning approach and using relevant, experiential learning to help them re-engage with their education.
Santander’s Adam Bishop, Managing Director for the South West, said: “Our experience has shown that young people are committed, diligent and capable and this conference will help inspire new interventions and ways of working to help those young people most at risk to have the chance for a future that is happy and fulfilling.”
So far, hundreds of young people have been given the opportunity to attend CV and interview workshops, many of which have been provided by volunteers from Santander branches and head office sites across the UK.
Douglas Brown, senior head of programmes, training and development, from Prince’s Trust, said: “These education conferences bring together all the key people involved in opening doors for young people, whether these are local businesses, charities and major companies such as Santander. We have one common goal – to develop best practice to help give young people the opportunities they deserve.”
