It is never too early, nor too late to kickstart your career. Breaking into the working world can be daunting for any young person. So, if you are uncertain of where to begin and where to access opportunities, fear no more! Here are a few resources dedicated towards helping young people gain skills and training, relevant to employment in the West Midlands and the wider UK. In fact, I have benefited from some of them myself.
The Walsall Young Campaigners
Social Media Links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9R-6liA3Dn/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOkd7O-_-b0
Firstly, The Walsall Young Campaigner programme supports young people by providing training for social media campaigning. The opportunity helps you develop technical and personal skills. Specifically, skills such as video production, editing and journalism for example. This is a self-starter kit for individuals looking to create content on social media. Learn to engage first-hand with interesting ideas and develop a portfolio that makes it possible to develop your own opportunities. The Walsall Young Campaigners is created and delivered by Aspire4u and That’s All Media. They are also supported by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Walsall Council. So, check out links above to see the impact of the Walsall Young Campaigners event and explore the Aspire4u CIC page to find out more.
The Motive
Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/motivewalsall
https://www.instagram.com/motivewalsall/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c2LH61TJfk
The Motive is a creative-learning platform that gives young people opportunities to express themselves creatively. They are aimed at “Connecting filmmakers, musicians, photographers, dancers, artists and writers.” Their events are theme-driven and occur on a monthly basis with a new focus each month. They include, ‘Studios and Mental Health’ and ‘Social Media’. As well as this, the platform invites speakers who have previously provided ‘insights on the best practises on social media from creative professionals’. They also host performative events, displaying talents such as Osaze, Brienna Chordz, Beasy, Kapz and Sky-Maya. Also, the latest feature to look forward to is the Podcast Debates. The Motive is local to Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell and Birmingham. So, check out the social media listed above to keep up to date with upcoming events.
Prince’s Trust
Website Link: https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/help-for-young-people
The Prince’s Trust is a nation-wide organisation catered towards young people aged 11 to 30. Their aim is to ‘offer hundreds of free courses, grants and mentoring opportunities to inspire young people to build their confidence and start a career.’ Additionally, the organisation gives you access to courses about healthcare, film, business and how to become a leader in the workplace. The website linked above allows you to access opportunities that are specific to your postcode.
Connecting Communities by West Midlands Combined Authority
Website Link: https://www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/productivity-skills/employment-support/
Connecting Communities (WMCA Innovation Pilot) offers employment support at a more personal level. The programme supports individuals in the West Midlands aged 16 and above . “The intention is to support individuals’ to engage with localised employability support, to raise the aspirations within the community, and support individuals’ transition into sustainable employment.” They offer a coach that will help you create a step-by-step plan in your employment journey. Check out the link above in order to communicate with someone in your area.
Local Volunteer Work
Another way to develop skills, especially if you’re uncertain of a specific field, is by volunteering locally. Volunteer programmes are entry-level opportunities simply looking for people who are enthusiastic and willing to put in the work. What’s more, these opportunities help establish a ‘working mentality’ and are great platforms for networking. They also allow you to enter and collaborate with various fields of work, acting as a transition from unpaid work to paid work. The following are a list of opportunities available within the West Midlands in particular:
FoodCycle:
Website Link: https://www.foodcycle.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer
West Midlands Police Volunteers:
Website Link: https://jobs.west-midlands.police.uk/volunteers-2/
Autism West Midlands:
Website Link: https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/support-us/volunteerin
Do-it / Aspire4u:
Website Link: https://do-it.org/organisations/aspire4u
The Do-it website is a resource that has made it possible for me to write this article. These opportunities will help you with:
- financial literacy
- Employability
- Obtaining a framework of where your mind should be when approaching work.
Take advantage of these resources and apply your own life-learned skills. Communicate with people so that you can be memorable, so that you can make a mark on projects and employers, and so you can assess your individual worth within the working world too.
Be sure to check out one of the volunteering opportunities listed above and follow our socials to keep up-to-date with current and upcoming projects. Additionally, let us know of any job opportunities or to gain employment skills for young people in West Midlands you would like to share.
For Aspire4U CIC,
The Mindset Lead Organisation
You can also click here to read more of our blogs.
We are a not for profit community engagement organisation. We use the arts to develop mindsets to improve well-being, foster financial literacy and give people employability skills.
So get involved! You can contact hello@aspire4u.co.uk to discuss our current opportunities.
Finally, for more information get in touch
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