Zmiany w „Sandwell College and WMCA - Accreditation Standards for youth-ready employers”
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- +Sandwell College and WMCA - Accreditation Standards for youth-ready employers
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Opis (English)
- +<p><strong>Sandwell College</strong> (Nargis Boltan and Angela Tombs) have played a crucial role in supporting work towards developing the Accreditation Standards for youth-ready employers, by hosting a workshop with employers and young people on 4th November 2025, with support from YCA/ WMCA and University of Birmingham.</p><p>We now plan a second workshop in <u>February 2025</u> to finalise and agree next steps on options for piloting and implementation.</p><p>The first workshop focused on identifying what makes a workplace truly youth-friendly, especially for work experience placements. Young people led the event, sharing lived experiences and shaping priorities through intergenerational dialogues with employers. The event was grounded in the principles of <strong>creative collaboration</strong>, <strong>inclusive participation</strong>, and <strong>practical co-design</strong>.</p><h2>Key Priorities</h2><p>Participants were asked to discuss and prioritise from a list bringing together proposals to improve access to equitable work experience, as emerged through the INSPIRE project and the YCA Youth Summit.</p><p><strong>Full list of proposals:</strong></p><ol><li><p><em>Better access to opportunities</em></p></li><li><p><em>Accessibility for disabled young people</em></p></li><li><p><em>Employers being connected with schools</em></p></li><li><p><em>Outreach in schools/ stronger community connections</em></p></li><li><p><em>Working with a wide range of age groups</em></p></li><li><p><em>Co- produce work experience offer with young people</em></p></li><li><p><em>Offer diverse career pathways access, including to creative and culture cultural industries</em></p></li><li><p><em>Soft skills development</em></p></li><li><p><em>Practical hands-on placements</em></p></li><li><p><em>Transport support</em></p></li><li><p><em>Accessible recruitment process</em></p></li><li><p><em>Support for neurodiverse young people</em></p></li><li><p><em>Ensure emotional safety in the workplace</em></p></li><li><p><em>Provide employability coaches/ mentors/ people that can support them and advocate for them</em></p></li><li><p><em>Agree the work experience placement with the young person at the start and tailor it to their needs/ resources</em></p></li></ol><p>We split into three groups, each with a mix of young participants and employers. We identified priorities, later refined to six core themes:</p><ol><li><p><strong>Safe Environment</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Accessibility for Disabled and Neurodiverse Young People</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Cultural Awareness</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Transport Support</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Employers and schools working better together</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Hands-on placements</strong></p></li></ol><p>These were explored in depth, with young people proposing specific actions for each priority, in dialogue with employers.</p><p><strong>1. Safe Environment</strong></p><p>Young people emphasised the importance of emotional safety and respectful, inclusive workplaces. Key actions included:</p><ul><li><p>Assigning mentors and support contacts during the placement</p></li><li><p>Providing feedback tools and wellbeing resources (e.g. posters, QR codes, apps)</p></li><li><p>Ensuring confidential disclosure mechanisms</p></li><li><p>Creating work experience packs with key contacts and guidance</p></li></ul><p><strong>2. Accessibility for Disabled and Neurodiverse Young People</strong></p><p>Accessibility was seen as essential to equity. Actions included:</p><ul><li><p>Offering tailored reasonable adjustments</p></li><li><p>Simplifying application and interview processes</p></li><li><p>Training staff on neurodiversity and inclusive recruitment</p></li><li><p>Co-producing programmes with young people with disabilities</p></li><li><p>Providing supported internships and flexible scheduling</p></li><li><p>Ensuring non-judgmental environments and visible role models</p></li></ul><p><strong>3. Cultural Awareness</strong></p><p>Young people called for workplaces that genuinely embrace diversity and foster cultural understanding, without using inclusion as a superficial gesture to maintain business as usual. Actions included:</p><ul><li><p>Promoting shared values and equality</p></li><li><p>Creating anonymous and one-to-one spaces for disclosure</p></li><li><p>Encouraging open dialogue about cultural differences</p></li><li><p>Reflecting cultural awareness in recruitment processes</p></li><li><p>Recognising and celebrating diverse backgrounds</p></li></ul><p><strong>4. Transport Support</strong></p><p>Transport was identified as a major barrier. Actions included:</p><ul><li><p>Reimbursing travel costs</p></li><li><p>Supporting safe and accessible travel options</p></li><li><p>Educating employers on young people’s transport needs</p></li></ul><p><strong>5. Employers working better with Schools</strong></p><p>Strong employer-school partnerships were seen as vital for early engagement and continuity. Actions included:</p><ul><li><p>Regular employer visits to schools and youth centres</p></li><li><p>Career fairs in the school/ community with real opportunities and follow-up</p></li><li><p>Clearer communication channels between schools and employers to support young people better as they navigate existing offers</p></li><li><p>Tailored support from an employability coach in the school to support applications for work experience, particularly for very competitive placements such as in the NHS</p></li><li><p>Co-designed outreach programmes with youth input</p></li><li><p>Sharing real-life career journeys and pathways with students in their school</p></li></ul><p><strong>6. Hands-On Placements</strong></p><p>Young people want placements that reflect real work, not token tasks. Actions included:</p><ul><li><p>Exposure to different sectors and roles</p></li><li><p>Pre-placement preparation and orientation, with tasks agreed with and tailored to young people’s needs</p></li><li><p>Clear role expectations and structured tasks</p></li><li><p>Opportunities to shadow professionals to gain meaningful understanding of what a particular role entails</p></li><li><p>Post-placement support to navigate next steps</p></li></ul><p> It would be good to add a list of organisations in appendix</p>