With 1 in 8 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK not in education, employment or training (NEET), VMS Ltd is calling on businesses across Northamptonshire and beyond to sign up as a partner for Northampton Saints Foundation to play their part in making a positive difference to young people.
The call to action comes after stark figures were published in the interim report, ‘Young people and work’, led by the Rt Hon Alan Milburn which states that the country’s future rests on the next generation and that, “we all have a responsibility to ensure they are set up to succeed. Young people have not given up on work. We must not give up on them.”
The Northants vegetation management and landscaping specialists recently joined Northampton Saints Foundation’s Founder15 programme and will support as an official partner, using the power of sport and the values of rugby to change lives and create positive futures for young people and their communities via their employability programmes and theory of change ‘Journey to work’.
Through its education, social inclusion and employability programmes, along with its specialist services, over the three-year partnership VMS will contribute to the scheme with work experience placements, mentorship and workshops, alongside providing real-world insight in helping learners understand what is expected in the workplace, focusing on key areas such as resilience and professional boundaries.
“At VMS we are proud of our commitment to the local community and building the next generation of workers, which is why we joined the Founder15 programme,” comments Kev Garfield, head of business support at VMS.
“As a partner we look forward to helping young people build confidence, develop essential life skills, and access new opportunities in education, training, or employment.
“I encourage other businesses to come forward and offer their support too. It’s truly rewarding to help young people get to a place where they can actually be proud of what they have achieved.”
On why businesses should consider putting themselves forward, Craig Phillips, head of employability and skills at Northampton Saints Foundation, said: “We are an impact driven charity and have supported 112 young people this year.
“The work that we do helps us tackle common issues around society such as NEET figures, and we tackle unemployment rates but also support areas of loneliness and re-offending within prisons.
“Most importantly, we create a safe and welcoming learning environment.
“By choosing to be a partner of Northampton Saints Foundation, businesses can support their corporate social responsibility targets while sharing their experience of their working world too.
“I’d encourage those organisations thinking of supporting us, to get in touch.”
To kick off the partnership, VMS served as a sleeve sponsor for Foundation Day, the Foundation’s biggest charity fundraising event of the year. Held in March, it raised an incredible £70,448 which will be used towards the charity’s programmes to create safe spaces, provide stability, and support the local community.
To find out more about VMS, visit https://vmsltd.net/
For more information about Northampton Saints Foundation, see www.northamptonsaintsfoundation.org/about-us/our-vision-mission
To read more on the ‘Young people and work: interim report’, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/young-people-and-work-interim-report