Youth employment team success
The Youth Employment Initiative team is celebrating a triple dose of good news as the scheme is extended for another year into 2023, they celebrate their best year ever and are the most successful team across the Tees Valley.
2021 saw the team help more than 200 young people into work with current estimates for the first three months of 2022 seeing a further 50 young people finding work through the scheme.
In the past year, 2021, the Darlington Council based team had 240 new starts, and progressed 258 people into a positive outcome of a job (70%) and education (30%), alongside 111 in work or training after a six month period. YEI is a Tees Valley-wide project with partners across the whole of the region; once more Darlington Borough Council's YEI team has been the most successful across the area’s consortium of providers.
The last six months of 2021 saw the team go from strength to strength with its most successful period ever, recording 138 starts, 158 positive outcomes, and 67 sustains. In addition, the team established the Darlington Youth Hub based in Pathfinder House, a dedicated space that houses a Jobcentre Work Coach and has rooms for other agencies to work with young people.
Since it was set up in 2016, the Darlington YEI team has:
• Provided 872 starts
• 791 Positive Outcomes (Jobs and full-time education)
• 379 Sustains (In work or education six months after leaving YEI).
The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) Programme supports young people aged 16-29 who are not in education or employment to move into training and work, giving them a helping hand to secure more permanent work in the future.
Councillor Alan Marshall, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for economy and regeneration said:
“This is brilliant news for the young people involved and for Darlington. A thriving economy depends on a well trained and dedicated workforce and this scheme, and the wonderful team who deliver it, helps to provide this. There are many opportunities for work in our area and our YEI team will help to ensure that local people are well placed to take advantage of what’s on offer.
“I am over the moon that our Darlington based team has achieved such fantastic success and is the best in the region.”
Councillor Jon Clarke, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for young people added:
“Finding work and training opportunities for young people is crucial, not just for our thriving local economy, but for the wellbeing and self esteem of those involved. I am delighted that the YEI scheme has helped hundreds of our young people onto the path towards a fulfilling career and education journey.
“Well done to Steven Winterburn and the YEI team who have worked hard to adjust to new ways of working as well as moving offices whilst continuing to deliver and improve on results that will have a direct impact on the lives and the future of your young people.”
The Darlington team can be contacted at 156 Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1QU.
Mobile: 07966 347401 VOIP: 01325 978250(Option 3)
Work: 01325 405898, email: [email protected]
YEI is a Tees Valley project funded by The European Social Fund (ESF) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with partners across the whole of Tees Valley.