A group has been awarded £410,000 to help tackle youth unemployment in Cumbria.
Cumbria Youth Alliance will launch a county-wide support programme, called Forging Futures, building on the work it has already completed in its three-year-old project Youth Futures.
Young people facing the greatest challenges will receive personalised support in housing, wellbeing, work experience and job search allowing them to fulfil their potential, the alliance said.
It will involve a mix of training, work experience and volunteering, traineeships and apprenticeships geared towards finding and keeping a good job, to make sure their transition into the world of work is successful.
The funding has been provided by the Youth Futures Foundation.
Barry Fletcher, chief executive of Youth Futures, said: “It’s critical that organisations like Cumbria Youth Alliance can continue their work supporting young people facing the greatest challenges, including care leavers who are four times more likely to be NEET. That is why we are delighted to continue our funding.
“The Forging Futures initiative builds on the impact of the original programme we funded and will create strong, consistent referral routes for young people in the area.
“We strongly believe that CYA can help us in our mission to reduce the youth employment gap by improving how services are delivered so that we can scale up that learning to a national level.”
Becky Wolstenholme, chief executive of Cumbria Youth Alliance, added: “We’re delighted to build on the momentum of phase one and reach more young people in the county with this vital support. The additional Youth Futures funding means we can continue to embed improved evaluation and delivery processes.”
