EDUCATION and employment charity Believe in Young People (BiYP) is urging Swindon teens to seek their support in preparing for their futures.

The The charity hopes to prevent youngsters aged between 11 and 18 from joining the 7,000 currently unemployed in Swindon by helping them understand and develop their key skills and behaviours while still in school or college.

The charity is now reaching out to schools and colleges to encourage youngsters to take on work-experience placements with their employer partners across the south west.

Chief executive Tanja Kuveljic said: “BiYP works to instil a belief in young people and enables them to reach their true potential by progressing their skills and behaviours from Year 7 upwards. We inspire and inform future career choices by bringing the world of work into the curriculum and connecting young people to the working world through real life experiences.

"We are now inviting more schools and colleges in Swindon to join us as partners by registering their students and integrating the programme into their curriculum, which will improve and measure student progression and outcomes.

“This expansion is being made in partnership with our national employer partners – Costa, Hilton Worldwide, Premier Inn, Babylon, Jurys Inn and Mitchells & Butlers - who, through their local sites, are committed to investing in their communities and growing future talent to ensure those young people who start a career with them progress into future managers and leaders across all disciplines.

“Our programme gives young people the best possible opportunity to be employed in a suitable role which will maximise their potential and ultimately reduce youth unemployment.

“Our approach has been to simplify and join up best practice between local employers and schools while focusing on the learner at all times. Now we want to do more and ensure that the supply of work-ready young talent does meet demand at both a local and national level."

Seymour Pearman, partnership manager for the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), said: “It’s increasingly important for young people to be exposed to the world of work and with its new approach, Believe in Young People is able to build a crucial bridge between schools, colleges and employers.

“By embedding its programme into the curriculum, the holistic development of young people becomes a simple and joined up activity: as important as they are, it’s not just about exams, it’s about enabling young people in making informed choices about the best options for them to progress into a future career which fulfils them.”

Those interested in finding out more about the programme should call 01908 695560 or visit biyp.org/Home/Join.