'London needs more summer projects to help teens get jobs'

21 August 2012

London needs more summer projects to help teens get jobs

Commenting on the lack of summer projects for young people in the capital, following her visit today to teach young people in Greenwich about architecture with youth charity Futureversity, TV Apprentice and architect Gabrielle Omar said:

‘Futureversity courses create space for young people to develop their skills and also something much deeper, they are inspired to think about jobs and possible careers while they learn. If schools were more like this we might see more young people testing their talents without fear of failure and thinking more about jobs in the creative and other industries.’

Piloted as a crime prevention initiative in Tower Hamlets in 1995, Futureversity offers free courses to help young people develop key skills and self-belief. Patron Dizzee Rascal did a Futureversity music technology course as a teenager and has credited Futureversity as being his ‘X Factor’.

Futureversity Chief Executive, Sarah Davies, said: ‘Young people today are worried about the future and tell us that school is not giving them the confidence or skills to succeed in jobs. We can do more to help them develop skills and get on-the-job training and we should not be content for young people to have their horizons limited by low expectations.’

In March 2006, Futureversity was commissioned by London Challenge (Department for Education) to roll out its summer programme into every London borough and by 2009, 32 Futureversity summer programmes ran across the capital providing 52,000 free course places for young people aged 11-25.

Notes to editors

1.)    Futureversity delivers award-winning free courses and activities for 11-25 year olds to help them develop the skills and self-belief they need to make the most of their lives. Piloted as a crime prevention initiative in Tower Hamlets in 1995 (as Summer University), today the charity delivers learning opportunities to thousands of young people in partnership with businesses, industry professionals and local government. Last year (2011-2012), Futureversity courses were oversubscribed by five times. Futureversity patrons include two of its former student, music artist Dizzee Rascal and co-founder MP Rushanara Ali, film director Danny Boyle and Baroness Oona King.

2.)    Last May (2012) Futureversity conducted a survey with young people http://uk.mg41.mail.yahoo.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.futureversity.org/uploads/media/17/18206.pdf representing the views of over 1,000 young people (aged 16-25) from across London. Young people said schools are not giving them confidence or skills to succeed. The majority (60%) said they felt doors are closed when looking for jobs. 53% said that they cannot afford to go to university, and many (63%) said that they will not achieve their career ambitions.

3.)    Gabrielle Omar joined the week long architecture course today to help teenagers in Greenwich achieve their dream of becoming architects or designers. The TV star is working with Tower Hamlets based youth charity Futureversity which has been commissioned by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to deliver a summer programme. Gabrielle is working with the charity to get more young people fulfilling their potential and considering jobs in the creative industries.