The Young People’s Employability Programme received funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allowing the Hub to build on its successful work in supporting 16–19-year-olds to gain lifelong skills and progress toward employment.
Throughout the year, the Programme aligned closely with the Conwy Youth Engagement Framework, providing targeted support for young people at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Early intervention with Year 11 pupils across Conwy enabled the team to deliver engaging, informal, and structured sessions tackling key barriers to employment - such as low confidence, limited work experience, poor mental health, and social anxiety.
The Programme Officers also supported young people already identified as NEET due to challenges including caring responsibilities, lack of qualifications, or financial hardship. Through one-to-one guidance, signposting to additional services, and practical help securing work tasters and sustainable employment, the Programme made a real difference in young lives.
Extra support was also provided at critical transition points, such as job applications, interviews, and starting work - stages that young people themselves highlighted as particularly stressful and significant on their mental health.
In just six months, 182 young people engaged with the Programme, with 94 progressing onto training courses in subjects including:
- Barista Training
- Water Skills
- Passport to Construction
- Tractor Training
- CV Workshops
- Money Management
- First Aid
- CSCS Training
A tailored pre-employment initiative, "Moving Forward", ran every Friday for six weeks at Abergele Youth Den. It covered topics such as building confidence, interview preparation, CV writing, and housing advice, while also offering work placement opportunities to help young people gain real-world experience.
The team also launched GROW (Get Ready for Opportunities at Work) - a focused initiative helping young people achieve sector-specific accredited qualifications in Retail, Hospitality, and Childcare. Courses included Customer Service, Paediatric First Aid, Food Hygiene, Mental Health Awareness, and Allergen Awareness.
Twelve participants completed the bespoke GROW training, achieving over 70 accreditations, and the impact was immediate:
- 4 moved straight into employment
- 7 were referred to the Hub’s mentoring service
- Several secured placements to build their CVs
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Cam (17) shared, “It got me out of the house to meet new people and socialise, and gave me new qualifications to move into work.” Beth (19) added, “I got more skills. I feel like I’ve grown as a person and am out of my comfort zone - ten out of ten and high fives!”