Currently, one in eight young people in the UK are not in employment, education or training (NEET). This challenge is known to particularly affect young people with additional barriers to employment. This project is designed to target and support 16 to 24-year-olds who are facing these challenges. We will provide a series of workshops/ one-to-one sessions for individuals by providing them with the necessary skills and resources to secure employment. This program offers career counselling and mentoring. Additionally, the project collaborates with local organisations to showcase the wide range of opportunities available for the young people. By addressing barriers to employment, this project empowers NEET individuals to build confidence and achieve sustainable employment, ultimately contributing to their personal and professional growth.

YOUTH COMMITTEE
APPLY TO BE ON THE PANEL NOW!

The Youth Committee aims to recruit individuals who are categorised as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds to participate in a panel discussion. The panel will explore various obstacles and barriers to employment faced by NEET individuals. We will also provide tailored careers advice through the use of mentors. The panel will discuss strategies to offer guidance on job search techniques, interview skills and networking opportunities. The Youth Committee aims to create a pathway for NEET individuals from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds to achieve meaningful employment and contribute positively to society.

For more information on this project and to apply to be on the Youth Committee, please contact maarya.giga@imocharity.org

This programme has started, an inter-generational programme aimed at supporting those in the borough with a vast array of digital skills.

Blackburn with Darwen faces acute challenges with poverty and digital exclusion; two critical factors that perpetuate educational and social disparities. Across the borough, those from low-income households are significantly less likely to have adequate digital access and skills. Local research from Blackburn with Darwen Council and partners confirms that older adults, BAME residents, and families with limited incomes are burdened by poor connectivity and confidence in using online services

This programme has started. This project will be open to girls and non-binary youth to step outside the box of traditional sports, embracing an exciting journey of self-discovery, mental resilience, barrier-breaking, and pure fun through movement. The main aim of the project would be for the youth to challenge their limits and defy stereotypes - just adventure, adrenaline and bold experiences.

This programme has started. This is a project which delivers money literacy education to the disadvantaged young people of Blackburn with Darwen. This will help to improve the financial resilience of YP in the borough. We aim to develop a sound understanding of budgeting and saving and goal setting with the idea of uplifting themselves out of the cycle of poverty, over time. Young people will be capable of critically assessing financial products and services, mitigating risk, saying no to things like predatory lending and scams and, ultimately, making informed choices about their money.

Financial literacy has emerged within our charity as a major need in recent years because of the cost-of-living crisis, which has pushed our young people much deeper into financial insecurity. Consequently, what we are seeing now on the frontline is a generation with increasingly limited access to important financial resources and increasing susceptibility to predatory lending, scams and risky financial behaviours such as gambling. We want to get to the root of the issue - at scale and by leveraging everything we have learnt to create an effective programme that builds sustainable financial capacities and capabilities.