1.
GenerationMe
proposal
for
Education/
Criminal
Justice
service
providers
Work
Taster
Pilot
for
young
people
‘at-­‐risk’
Purpose
of
the
pilot
project
The
GenerationMe
(GM)
project
provides
work
tasters
for
young
people
who
are
disenfranchised
with
mainstream
education
or
involved
in
criminal
activity.
GM
is
piloting
a
very
simple
concept,
a
means
of
helping
young
people
make
more
informed
decisions
about
their
future
and
overcoming
barriers
to
work
placement
whilst
adopting
rewarding
work
place
habits.
GM
has
three
core
beliefs,
which
are
its
working
foundations:
1. Young
people’s
interests
should
be
nurtured
as
a
means
of
engaging
them.
By
listening
to
their
interests
it
is
possible
to
create
‘hooks’
to
entice
and
steer
them
towards
constructive
pursuits
that
they
will
be
more
likely
to
engage
and
flourish
in
2.
Young
people
need
the
opportunity
to
see
beyond
their
academic
attainment
and
realise
that
they
have
a
bank
of
transferable
skills
that
would
be
highly
beneficial
to
employers
2. Young
people
are
generally
uninformed
about
what
it
means
to
work.
Recent
ICM
research
found
that
just
38%
of
those
unemployed
saying
they
feel
ready
for
the
world
of
work
(report
unpublished).
This
reinforces
the
case
for
a
need
for
better
employer
engagement
for
young
people.
Why
is
the
pilot
important?
Young
peoples
preconceptions
about
what
it
really
means
to
work
and
to
be
employed
are
often
misguided
or
negative;
GM
is
designed
to
dispel
some
of
the
myths
about
the
workplace
whilst
developing
new
skills
in
young
people.
Whilst
there
is
no
doubt
that
education
is
valuable
in
supporting
young
people
to
progress
in
to
positive
and
meaningful
activities
(as
well
as
being
a
recognised
pathway
in
diverting
them
away
from
crime),
there
are
a
significant
cohort
of
young
people
who
are
disenfranchised
and
find
education
to
be
a
struggle
and/or
unfulfilling.
Many
of
these
young
people
subsequently
disengage
and
underachieve
academically
or
drop
out
of
education
becoming
‘NEET’
and
subsequently
more
likely
to
become
involved
in
criminal
or
antisocial
activity.
A
key
reason
why
many
disengage
is
because
their
barriers
to
learning
are
never
identified
and
therefore
never
overcome.
Employment
(another
recognised
pathway
to
divert
people
from
crime)
can
give
young
people
the
self-­‐
esteem
and
a
sense
of
purpose
that
they
may
otherwise
fail
to
achieve
in
education
alone.

2.
How
does
the
project
make
a
difference?
The
project
will:
• Help
candidates
identify
their
barriers
to
learning
• Help
candidates
realise
their
existing
skills
• Develop
their
skills
to
be
more
employment
appropriate
• Respond
to
their
interests
to
motivate
them
to
make
positive
decisions
about
their
future
• Encourage
them
to
explore
more
than
one
work
placement
option
to
broaden
their
horizons
The
expected
project
outcomes
are
highlighted
below
Overall
Aim
Using
work
tasters
to
enhance
skills
and
decrease
the
number
of
young
people
becoming
NEET
or
involved
in
criminal
activity.
Specific
Aims
• To
increase
employability
and
social
skills
in
young
people
• To
increase
motivation
to
studying
and
work
• To
reduce
habitual
barriers
to
studying
and
work
• To
allow
participants
to
make
more
informed
decisions
about
their
future
• To
decrease
number
of
young
people
who
breach
their
YOT
licence
conditions
Objectives
• To
provide
up
to
10
work
tasters
in
a
range
of
industries
in
Hackney
• To
provide
employability
and
communication
skills
training
• To
provide
one-­‐to-­‐one
sessions
to
allow
participants
to
recognise
their
transferable
skills

3.
What
are
the
referral
criteria
for
the
pilot?
GM
is
designed
for
young
people
aged
between
16
and
18
who
live
or
study
in
Hackney
and
meets
one
of
the
following
eligibility
criteria:
• Involved
in
or
at
risk
of
offending
behaviour
(e.g.
involved
with
YOT)
• In
alternative
education
and
at
risk
of
becoming
NEET
(not
in
education,
training
or
employment
and
involved
in)
These
groups
have
been
targeted
as
the
beneficiaries
as
they
are
more
likely
to
display
lower
motivation
and
lack
ambition
compared
to
their
peers
who
are
in
mainstream
educational
settings.
What
does
the
project
offer?
The
GM
pilot
is
designed
as
a
challenge
whereby
10
young
people
will
complete
a
range
of
one-­‐day
work
tasters
with
local
employers.
Upon
completion
the
young
people
will
have
experienced
what
it
is
like
to
work
in
a
range
of
industries
which
will
help
them
make
better-­‐informed
decisions
about
their
future
employment
options.
For
young
people
the
project
offers:
• An
opportunity
to
develop
their
employability
skills,
social
skills
and
self
confidence
• Increased
ambition
and
motivation
to
make
positive
life
choices
and
set
goals
for
the
future
• CV
enhancement
• A
greater
understanding
of
the
workplace
• A
sense
of
purpose
and
responsibility
• A
one-­‐to-­‐one
career
consultation
to
help
them
recognise
their
transferable
skills
and
map
them
to
career
path
• Two
half-­‐day
awareness
sessions
on
workplace
behaviour
with
some
introductory
tasks
• Consultation
to
ensure
their
needs
are
being
catered
for
• An
incentive
to
attend
all
placements
and
complete
the
challenge
For
youth
justice
agencies
the
project
offers:
• A
more
enriched
service
which
can
be
an
integral
part
of
ISS
timetables
or
community
payback
• A
pathway
to
dissuade
from
reoffending
• Risk
management
• Experience
of
working
with
young
people
with
convictions
• A
post
pilot
evaluation
• The
opportunity
to
be
involved
post
pilot
for
a
more
holistic
service

4.
For
education
providers
the
project
offers:
• The
opportunity
to
express
their
needs
to
the
project
and
a
bespoke
and
flexible
service
• A
means
for
meeting
the
requirements
of
the
Study
Programme
by
giving
learners
access
to
alternative
work
experience
opportunities
• Increased
sustainment
of
young
people
in
education
• Young
people
who
have
better
rounded
skills
and
who
are
therefore
more
likely
to
progress
in
to
a
positive
outcome
• Experience
of
working
with
at
risk
of
NEET
young
people
• Risk
management
• A
post
pilot
evaluation
• The
opportunity
to
be
involved
post
pilot
for
a
more
holistic
service
For
participating
local
employers
the
project
offers:
• The
opportunity
to
fulfil
CSR
activities
• Access
untapped
potential
• Investor
in
futures
recognition
and
promotion
on
the
website/applicable
project
publicity
• An
opportunity
to
express
their
needs
and
concerns
• A
suggested
itinerary
to
inform
the
work
placement
• Risk
management
For
the
borough
of
Hackney
the
project
offers:
• A
more
cohesive
borough
• Less
marginalised
young
people
Who
will
be
the
partner
businesses
to
provide
the
work
tasters?
The
work
placement
providers
will
be
primarily
Hackney
based
in
order
to
maximise
accessibility
by
participants.
There
will
be
a
range
of
industries
and
the
focal
point
for
the
purpose
of
the
pilot
will
be
on
small
to
medium
sized
businesses.
For
the
purpose
of
the
pilot
there
will
be
a
maximum
of
10
employers
involved.
Businesses
will
be
approached
as
well
as
sourced
via
Hackney
Business
Venture.

5.
How
will
the
project
consult
with
young
people
about
the
service?
Whilst
many
young
people
have
an
idea
about
where
their
interests
lie,
it
is
a
minority
of
people
who
actually
grow
up
and
work
in
that
industry
for
the
rest
of
their
life.
GM
is
about
having
them
experience
different
jobs
and
increasing
their
understanding
of
the
vast
range
of
employment
opportunities
that
are
available
in
London.
The
project
will
not
dictate
all
the
available
placements
to
the
young
people.
Rather
there
will
be
a
period
of
consultation
whereby
each
participant
can
request
that
one
of
his
or
her
placements
is
in
a
specific
industry
(the
other
placements
will
be
made
up
of
the
choices
of
their
peers,
or
sourced
by
GM.)
Given
that
the
pilot
will
be
launched
as
a
challenge
young
people
will
be
expected
to
take
part
in
all
the
placements
even
though
some
of
which
they
may
not
have
otherwise
chosen
or
considered.
(Incentives
to
support
this
are
discussed
in
a
later
section)
To
aid
employers
who
may
be
unaccustomed
to
hosting
work
tasters,
the
young
people
will
be
consulted
with
to
create
a
suggested
itinerary
of
activities
for
them
to
do
whilst
on
placement.
This
will
help
ensure
that
their
opinions
are
being
considered
throughout
the
process
and
help
set
up
their
expectations.
Young
people
will
also
be
asked
to
complete
a
short
survey
(via
SurveyMonkey)
which
is
about
their
opinions
of
education
and
what
they
plan
to
do
in
the
future.
The
results
of
this
will
help
inform
the
GM
service
both
pre
and
post
pilot.
Why
is
it
relevant
to
education
providers
or
youth
justice
organisations?
With
the
introduction
of
the
Study
Programme
and
Traineeships,
GM
can
provide
key
introductions
to
the
workplace
and
opportunities
for
young
people
to
develop
non-­‐academic
skills
to
enhance
their
chances
of
progressing
in
to
an
apprenticeship
or
work.
The
Department
for
Education
has
given
colleges
the
freedom
to
trial
models
for
securing
work
experience
placements
that
fit
with
their
local
circumstances
and
are
tailored
to
the
individual
needs
of
their
students.
The
pilot
is
purposely
designed
to
be
straightforward
but
adequate
enough
for
an
evaluation
to
be
run
to
measure
the
impact
of
the
experience
on
the
participants.
The
pilot
is
also
designed
to
be
of
minimal
cost
and
easily
accessible
for
referring
agencies
(e.g.
alternative
educational
establishments
and
YOT’s)
and
the
local
businesses.
To
fulfil
the
aims
of
GM
the
project
will
try
to
identify
what
motivates
the
participating
young
people
(based
on
their
skills,
experience,
interests
or
ambitions)
and
try
to
use
work
placements
that
will
compliment
these
as
a
‘hook’
to
achieving
longer-­‐term
engagement.
In
essence
the
project
will
plant
a
seed
and
help
young
people
see
the
‘bigger
picture’
and
motivate
them
to
get
through
their
education
in
order
to
pursue
a
career
that
they
would
be
happy
in.

6.
What
is
required
of
the
referring
agency?
The
agency
that
is
referring
young
people
will
be
expected
to
be
an
advocate
for
the
project
and
support
it
in
the
following
ways:
• Promote
the
project
with
young
people
• Share
information
around
risk
with
GM
• Be
involved
in
the
referral
process
• Support
with
gaining
consent
forms
from
parents
where
required
• Cover
travel
expenses
and
a
subsistence
allowance
whilst
on
placement
• Provide
a
‘champion’
who
can
be
a
liaison
for
prospective
employees
who
seek
further
liaison
points
Note:
The
GM
training
may
require
the
referral
agency
to
provide
a
learning
space.
Also
as
these
sessions
will
be
done
with
the
full
cohort
of
10
young
people
this
may
include
accommodating
participants
from
other
agencies,
unless
you
are
able
to
provide
all
10
young
people.
How
does
it
work?
Employers
will
host
a
young
person
for
one
day
each
week,
allowing
them
to
experience
what
it
is
like
to
work
there
and
within
that
industry.
The
placement
is
deliberately
kept
short
at
pilot
stage
to
minimise
impact
on
employers
and
introduce
them
to
the
concept
slowly.
One
day
is
however
deemed
adequate
to
spark
sufficient
interest
(or
otherwise)
with
young
people
in
terms
of
helping
them
to
plan
their
future.
Each
participating
young
person
will
be
asked
to
attend
each
work
placement
Below
is
an
example
of
how
the
programme
can
structure:
Given
a
one-­‐day
per
week
work
taster
(example
shows
four
young
people
with
four
different
employers)
Week
one
Week
two
Week
three
Week
four
Young
person
one
Young
person
two
Young
person
three
Young
person
four
Employer
one
Employer
two
Employer
three
Employer
four
Employer
one
Employer
two
Employer
three
Employer
four
Employer
one
Employer
two
Employer
three
Employer
four
Employer
two
Employer
three
Employer
four
Employer
one

7.
Process
for
referred
young
people
prior
to
undertaking
work
tasters
Process
once
work
tasters
commence
*GM
and/or
the
referral
agency
subject
to
consultation
will
provide
the
incentive
One-­‐to-­‐one
par`cipant
programme
introduc`on
Group
consulta`on
on
placement
choice/s
One-­‐to-­‐one
transferable
skills
session
with
par`cipant
Two
Par`cipant
group
1/2
day
workplace
awareness
sessions
SoG
launch:
young
people
meet
employers
and
engage
in
icebreaker
ac`vi`es
Young
person
aaends
work
taster
(Day
1)
Debrief
with
Genera`oMe
project
(Day
2)
Young
person
aaends
subsequent
tasters
(debrief
follows
each)
Young
person
completes
the
Challenge
(all
tasters)
Young
person
issued
a
cer`ficate
and
incen`ve
is
provided*

8.
Process
for
employers
prior
to
work
tasters
commencing
What
is
involved
in
the
half-­‐day
training
for
the
young
people?
For
the
purposes
of
the
pilot
the
training
will
cover
an
awareness
of
workplace
behaviour
and
introduce
some
of
the
likely
tasks
a
participant
might
be
asked
to
undertake.
The
employers
will
also
be
consulted
with
regarding
this
training
and
have
the
opportunity
to
add
to
it.
In
short
the
training
is
largely
led
by
the
employers
need
but
will
incorporate
some
more
generalised
skills.
The
training
is
modelled
around
the
National
Children’s
Bureau:
Measuring
Employability
Skills
report.
This
report
highlights
that
four
main
areas
should
be
considered
when
implementing
employability
skills:
1. Personal
(confidence,
self-­‐esteem,
motivation)
2. Interpersonal
(communication,
teamwork,
assertiveness)
3. Self-­‐management
(self-­‐control,
reliability,
positive
attitude,
presentation)
4. Initiative
&
delivery
(planning,
problem
solving,
prioritising)
The
training
will
provide
awareness
of
these
principles
as
well
as
offer
advice
on
being
resilient
and
able
to
take
instruction.
The
training
will
also
instil
some
practical
skills
such
as
handling
telephone
calls.
A
session
plan
for
the
above
activities
is
available
on
request.
Employers
approached
and
briefed
about
Genera`onMe
programme
Employers
invited
to
informa`on
and
networking
evening
SoG
launch:
Employers
invited
to
meet
young
people,
parents
and
referral
agencies
and
take
part
in
icebreaker
ac`v`es

9.
How
will
risks
be
managed?
The
main
risk
considerations
for
the
project
are
DBS
checks,
Risk
Assessment
and
appropriate
Insurance.
• Following
amendments
to
the
Rehabilitation
of
offenders
Act
1974
(Exceptions/Amendments),
employers
are
no
longer
able
to
carry
out
a
DBS
check
on
staff
supervising
16-­‐17
year
olds
on
work
experience.
The
employer
is
also
entitled
to
refuse
a
check
requested
by
the
education
provider
for
a
person
in
this
group.
• An
employer
requires
no
written
risk
assessment
where
there
are
fewer
than
5
employees
(HSE-­‐
Health
and
Safety
Executive).
Larger
organisations
will
be
supported
by
the
project
to
make
any
amendments
deemed
necessary.
The
HSE
also
states
that
there
is
no
need
for
the
education
establishment
to
second-­‐guess
an
employer’s
risk
assessment
or
request
additional
paperwork.
• Employers
will
provide
a
copy
of
their
Liability
Insurance
(providing
it
is
a
member
of
the
Association
of
British
Insurers)
to
GM
which
will
be
sufficient
to
cover
the
taster
activities.
GM
takes
a
common
sense
approach
to
risk
management
and
share
information
(with
permission)
where
a
young
person
poses
a
specific
risk,
as
well
as
offering
support
to
write
a
risk
assessment
to
manage
this.
GM
also
holds
public
liability
insurance.
How
will
the
pilot
be
launched?
A
soft
launch
will
be
used
to
bring
together
the
participating
young
people,
parents,
the
referring
agencies
and
the
employers.
It
will
consist
of
networking
and
allowing
each
party
to
meet
each
other
so
they
can
build
their
expectations
and
ask
questions.
GM
will
also
present
on:
the
vision,
the
process
and
how
the
pilot
will
inform
future
work.
How
does
the
pilot
finish?
The
pilot
will
end
when
the
cohort
have
undertaken
each
work
placement.
There
will
then
be
an
opportunity
for
each
stakeholder
to
feedback
as
to
how
they
found
the
process
as
well
as
impact
evaluation
to
determine
the
effect
on
the
young
people.
There
may
be
unexpected
outcomes
such
as
young
people
being
offered
the
opportunity
to
do
more
work
experience,
which
would
obviously
be
welcomed.
GM
and
the
employers
will
actively
encourage
the
young
people
to
make
positive
decisions
going
forward
about
their
future
and
making
the
most
of
their
education.
Young
people
who
complete
should
have
a
better
understanding
of
the
workplace
and
be
better
informed
about
what
they
want
to
do
in
the
future.
As
a
result
the
young
person
should
have
additional
motivation
to
sustain
their
current
educational
provision
or
to
adhere
to
their
YOT
conditions
and
make
more
positive
decisions
about
their
future.

10.
Who
supports
the
project?
• Voist
Voist
is
a
creative
communications
company
who
have
a
presence
in
Hackney
and
have
worked
with
local
businesses
to
help
them
communicate
social
concerns
or
improve
public
education.
• Advisory
Group:
At
present
the
group
consists
of
the
director
for
Jump
Apprenticeships
and
a
mentorship
via
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Whilst
currently
under
development,
the
advisory
group
will
ultimately
include
more
individuals
as
well
as
a
service
user-­‐led
branch.
• Hackney
Business
Venture
Enterprise
(HBV)
HBV
are
a
not
for
profit
company
supporting
the
development
and
growth
of
businesses
in
Hackney.
• The
School
for
Social
Entrepreneurs
(SSE)
GM
is
a
social
enterprise
being
developed
under
the
SSE
fellowship
programme
in
partnership
with
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• QIA
Commodities
A
City
based
trading
company
that
has
hosted
young
people
via
the
GM
founder
in
the
past.
How
much
does
it
cost
to
refer
a
young
person
on
to
the
GM
work
taster
pilot?
The
cost
per
person
is
£150.00
(maximum
cost
of
£1500.00
for
10
participants
in
10
work
placements)
this
also
includes
two
half-­‐day
training
sessions
and
support
from
GM
throughout
the
process.

11.
What
are
the
post
pilot
opportunities?
Following
a
small
evaluation
of
the
pilot
GM
will
look
to
develop
the
work
taster
programme
(assuming)
it
is
largely
successful.
There
are
many
options
for
doing
this
such
as:
• Lengthening
the
period
of
time
that
placements
will
last
(or
reposting
the
young
person
back
to
the
one
they
most
enjoyed)
• Delivering
to
another
cohort
of
young
people
• Getting
additional
employers
on
board
(to
create
a
fuller
list
of
available
opportunities)
• Promote
apprenticeship
provisions
as
a
means
of
progression
(including
partnering
with
an
apprenticeship
provider)
• Approach
larger/corporate
employers
• Incorporate
qualifications
for
young
people
• Incorporate
a
mentoring
service
to
support
young
people
at-­‐risk
to
make
better
life
choices
Subject
to
feedback
and
evaluation
agencies
may
be
charged
to
refer
post
pilot.
Future
activities
will
be
designed
based
on
the
needs
of
stakeholders.
The
process
will
be
recorded
on
www.generationmeblog.com
as
will
subsequent
evaluation
feedback.