Children’s charity Barnardo’s has received national recognition of its work to provide a positive future for young people. Barnardo’s Employment, Training and Skills (ETS) has been awarded a ‘Gold Standard’ from the Fair Train organisation for the quality of its work experience placements. It recognises the charity’s commitment to providing high-quality opportunities which benefit both the young person and the employer.
Barnardo’s has a regional ETS service based at Great Cornbow in Halesowen. In advance of national Work Experience Week from October 10th-14th, the team hope the new accreditation will encourage even more businesses to work with them to transform the lives of local young people. Barnardo’s Midlands ETS manager Wendy Hemsley said: “The Fair Train Gold Standard highlights our commitment to providing high-quality placements for young people.
“We carefully match employer opportunities to the needs of our learners and this independent accreditation confirms a level of support from start to finish which ensures the placement is productive for all involved. It also means that we have access to a large database of employers who are committed to providing worthwhile and interesting experiences.”
Over the last two years Barnardo’s Midlands ETS has provided support and work experience placements for 146 long-term unemployed young people aged from 18-24 years old, of which 124 entered employment which lasted for three months or more. Referrals are received directly from the Department for Work and Pensions or Job Centre Plus. Apprenticeships are also provided.
Wendy added: “We give young people a valuable opportunity to experience meaningful work, which helps them to develop the confidence and skills required to move on to paid employment.
“Thanks to the generous support of a wide variety of businesses across the West Midlands, we can transform the lives of young people and provide them with a much more positive future.”
