Our Employment Access Skills and Training department (EAST) has an exciting new venture coming up in 2014: we’re going to be working with the Foyer Federation on the Pop Up Talent project.
The idea is to create a different type of job centre – one that really works for young people. Instead of young unemployed people going to a job centre to look for jobs, the Pop Up Talent Shops will go to them, opening up in the places where they already go. These Talent Shops will give young people the tools they need to get on in life – building their confidence and showcasing their talents to potential employers.
You may remember Pop Up Talent Shops from an episode of Channel 4’s Secret Millions, which followed the Foyer Federation and Dave “Bank of Dave” Fishwick as they convinced the Big Lottery Fund to back the project. You can watch the episode here (C4 website registration required).
Pop Up Talent is being run in London, Birmingham and South Wales, so it’s a national project – and Gateway is very pleased to be representing Birmingham. Birmingham is one of the youngest cities in England – if not the youngest – and this programme is really important for the next generation of workers. It’s up to all of us to get involved and Gateway is proud to be leading such an exciting innovation for the city.
From the Foyer Federation website:
Lots of young people tell us that the way in which Job Centre Plus and other providers operate isn’t working for them. We also know that the vast majority of small and medium sized businesses don’t use the Job Centre and they’re the employers who are likely to provide a great deal of the jobs in the future.
Pop Up Talent is a way of turning the way young people connect with employers on its head. Both ends of the supply chain are ready to try a radical new approach and start a different kind of conversation. Pop Up Talent does this by finding new ways to work: new ways into the labour market, and new solutions to a stubborn problem.
Pop Up Talent is a great fit for Gateway, as it bridges a gap in public service delivery and encourages personal confidence and independence. We can’t wait to get started – giving unemployed young people the chance to create work opportunities, and helping create a different conversation between employers and young people.
If you think you might be able to help – for example by offering voluntary short work experiences, volunteering opportunities, or short workshops in pop up talent shops – please get in touch.
Here’s a short film from the Foyer Federation, showcasing the Open Talent campaign, which helped to develop Pop Up Talent and so gives a bit more background about the project.
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