Wednesday, 21 April 2021

The Damilola Taylor Trust is launching a new programme to support disadvantaged young people helping them improve their future prospects post-COVID-19, thanks to funding from BBC Children in Need and the Youth Futures Foundation.

The ‘I Am Change Career Search & Skills Development’ programme is open to young Londoners aged between 17-24 years old with little or no work experience.

Starting 10 May 2021, this free programme will run until September 2021 and consist of workshops, digital skills training and peer coaching sessions. These will be delivered online and face-to-face subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

There will be workshops on resilience and mental toughness to help young people to cope in a challenging post-COVID-19 job market, digital skills training to enable them to up-skill, and coaching on topics such as job hunting, CV writing, interviews and networking.

Young people will learn how to overcome the challenges and barriers to employment. They will also build their confidence and improve their skills, paving the way to future employment.

The programme is being delivered in partnership with 2020 Change and HUDL CIC.

Richard Taylor OBE said, “Many of the vulnerable young people that we support are already at a disadvantage. Post-COVID-19, our fear is that they will be left further behind.

Damilola lost his life because of problems in society, which have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people can feel unsure or apathetic about their future, and without the right guidance or hope, they can be vulnerable to social circles that promote anti-social values.

Through this programme, we aim to help these young people improve their future prospects. We will build their self-confidence, develop their skills and help them find their way into gainful employment in a challenging post-COVID-19 world.”

The deadline for applications for this programme is Friday 30 April.

More information including how to apply can be found by visiting https://www.damilolataylortrust.co.uk/projects/cssd.

ENDS -

 EDITOR’S NOTES

For further information, please contact:

Pamela Ray on 07779 095 3321 or damilolataylortrust@gmail.com

Brenda Gabriel on 07534 360 854 or brenda@brendagabriel.co.uk

The Damilola Taylor Trust was established in May 2001 by Richard Taylor OBE in memory of his son Damilola Taylor who was tragically killed in 2000 by an act of violence by two boys not much older than him. Through its work, the Trust aims to provide a legacy of hope and opportunity for disadvantaged and under privileged young people. It develops activities and projects that support vulnerable inner-city youth who are susceptible to gang and knife crime, are at risk of being kicked out of school or have left school but have yet to find their way to success. Through coaching, training and mentoring, the Trust equips these young people with the confidence and skills to face the challenges of adulthood, improving their life chances. Through its advocacy work, it also tackles and highlights key issues affecting young people.

The ‘I Am Change Career Search & Skills Development’ programme is based on a previous programme that was first delivered by the Damilola Taylor Trust in 2018 and again in 2019. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trust relaunched the programme and tailored it to specifically support vulnerable young people to find employment in a challenging post-COVID-19 job market. The original programme saw 21 out of its 25 participants move into employment or further training.