Youth Unemployment | ThinkForward

She Speaks: International Women’s Day Exhibition

She Speaks: International Women's Day Exhibition

The She Speaks project supports young women to develop the skills and confidence they need to secure employment. The project provides one-to-one coaching from a female coach, as well as employability activities, where young women can hear career journeys and advice from female employees from a range of industries.

Young women also have the opportunity to attend a creative workshop to learn about the history of women’s equality and design campaign posters about issues that resonate with them. The exhibition below displays the posters that the young women have created over the past year.

Exhibition:

Youth-led peer research project with The Blagrave Trust

ThinkForward post-16 young people in Kent designed a research project on the various barriers young people face in securing positive employment opportunities.

Young people were trained and supported to collect data through surveys, focus groups and interviews and presented their findings to The Blagrave Trust, ThinkForward and employers in Kent, to provide insight into the barriers to employment young people in Kent can face.

We are extremely grateful to The Blagrave Trust for funding this opportunity for our young people.

The young people created a presentation to share their research findings:

ThinkForward submits evidence to the Department for Works & Pensions

ThinkForward Ambassador, Kiianu Glasgow submitted evidence to a round table of MPs from the DWP select committee on employment opportunities for young people. Kiianu answered all the MPs questions clearly and concisely, giving a fuller picture of what it is like to be a young person looking for work.

Also in attendance in the public gallery was ThinkForward apprentice Amy Coulson. Amy wrote up her visit to the House of Commons below:

Hearing Kiianu speak made me feel so happy to be part of an amazing charity who want to help young people like us. Having her represent our work was a fantastic idea, she was great!

It was my first experience going to parliament and hearing someone speak about ThinkForward. As we entered the building it was like being at the airport with people’s bags being checked and searched. I felt so nervous but I couldn’t explain why. It was just a situation you do not expect. The building inside is so unique with the designs and especially all the paintings.

All the MPs who asked questions seemed very intrigued by what ThinkForward does and I hope next time they make a decision that affects young people, they think about what Kiianu said, “young people don’t just want a job, they want a career.”

Overall the experience was incredible and I would love to attend another in the future.