WorkingRite is a charity tackling youth unemployment by individually matching 16-18 year old school leavers with small, local businesses. WorkingRite trainees complete a three to six month work experience placement with their employer, learning on-the-job and being mentored by adults in the workplace. The charity works with dedicated employers who believe in giving young people a chance and removing the Catch-22 of work experience.

This is all well and good for most WorkingRite trainees. However, some youngsters face tougher obstacles and find it more difficult to hold down a full time work placement. Therefore, with the financial backing of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, WorkingRite has adapted its traditional model to help harder-to-reach young people.

Trainees have been recruited from the Edinburgh Cyrenians. The young people will undergo a four-week induction during which they will learn to work as a team, be visited by inspirational speakers, learn First Aid at Work and discover what’s expected of them in the adult world of work.

For a further eight weeks, the trainees will be introduced to work placements gradually, gaining hands-on work experience for one to two days per week. The rest of the week will be spent in groups learning transferable skills with our partners Game On and Dance Base.

Finally, the remainder of their 22-26 week placement will consist of three days in the workplace and one day in group sessions with their WorkingRite Project Co-ordinator, Vikki Young. Vikki says of the project, “We have been able to create a training programme which takes a holistic approach to these youngsters’ lives. They will be able to engage in new experiences, gain qualifications, and learn much-needed transferable work skills. Using WorkingRite’s core values, we can prepare our youngsters, allowing them to achieve the full potential of their work placement. The enrolled youngsters have already shown great signs of progress, and I am looking forward to witnessing their continual development throughout the WorkingRite Pioneers programme”.

It is hoped the 360 degree support, prolonged preparation period and incremental exposure to the workplace will provide a more successful learning experience to the young people who are finding it most difficult to secure employment.