Building Aspirations 2024 Programme Information
Locations
We are recruiting for delivery partners in the following areas in the North West:
- Greater Manchester, excluding areas that fall outside the M60 motorway boundary
- Liverpool and The Wirral
How to Apply
Expressions of Interest should be made via our online portal at https://my.ukyouth.org/my-account/dashboard/. Users will first need to sign up to a new account or log in, and once you have verified your email and signed up, you will be asked to complete your registration and link your account to an organisation. For this application round, applicants should select “administrator” when choosing their relationship (even if the other relationships apply). This will allow the user to apply for grants and programmes. Users should then find the resources, and space to apply for programmes and grants under ‘My account’. If you have any trouble with this, please contact programmes@ukyouth.org .
The deadline for applications is 5pm on 18th March 2024. We encourage early applications.
Programme Overview
Building Aspirations is an employability programme for young people aged 18-24 who are not in education, employment or training or are at risk of being so. The central aim of Building Aspirations is to instil belief and confidence in young people that long term unemployment and even achieving their dream careers is possible. The programme enables youth workers to support young people to identify their interests and passions and plan how to take steps towards their goals through a skill-building curriculum.
We will discuss and confirm delivery targets during contracting, but as a guide, delivery partners will be contracted to support between 30 and 40 young people each to complete the programme. The programme is split into two main components:
Building Aspirations curriculum delivery and scholarship applications
The programme follows a curriculum and scholarship model. The curriculum includes sessions on:
- Overcoming setbacks and barriers to employment
- Money management skills
- Goal setting and planning
- Interview techniques
After completing the programme curriculum (7 hours), the participants have the option to apply for a scholarship of up to £750. Scholarships offer young people financial support (in the form of a grant) to help them access academic or vocational opportunities. The funding can be used towards paying for courses to gain vocational or academic qualifications; covering costs of equipment and materials; or entry to a conference or event that can further a young person’s skills and knowledge development.
Building local connections to support pathways to employment
Youth workers will receive training on the Community Link Work approach to build partnerships with local employers to ensure that young people completing the curriculum are connected to employment opportunities. Delivery partners will be equipped with the training and knowledge to develop cross-sector partnerships with other youth sector organisations and businesses in their locality.
Funding Available
Delivery targets and funding amounts will be discussed and confirmed with delivery partners following selection of delivery partners, but an indicative guide is as follows:
