Howdens Joinery and Together for Children working together to boost employment opportunities for care experienced young people
Monday 20 December 2021
North East branches of Howden's Joinery have been working with Together for Children to promote employment opportunities for care experienced young people in Sunderland.
As cared for young people reach the age of 18, they are supported by us to move into independent living - including supported accommodation and private rented accommodation. As they reach adulthood, many young people are considering their options around employment, further education and training, and care experienced young people are supported by Together for Children to explore their options and think about the careers they'd like to work towards.
In November, the team from Howdens visited us and held four informal information sessions across two days. The sessions were attended by 15 young people aged between 16 to 22, who wanted to out find more about employment opportunities at Howdens, including the different apprenticeships they offer.
Following the sessions, Howdens invited the group down to visit their depots across the North East, including Houghton le Spring, Leechmere, Enterprise Park, Durham South Shields, Birtley, Aycliffe, Tyne Tunnel and Blyth, as well as offering telephone conversations to anyone who was unable to make it but wanted to learn more.
Whilst their apprenticeship opportunities are open to all young people, Howdens is keen to provide more employment opportunities for cared for and care experienced young people in Sunderland, with apprenticeships in lots of different areas including sales, warehouse operations and administration.
Jill Colbert, Chief Executive at Together for Children, said: "This is an amazing opportunity for care experienced young people in Sunderland and we're incredibly grateful to Howdens for their support. For any young person, applying for a job or attending an interview can be a very daunting task but for care experienced young people, it can be especially challenging to find an employer who is understanding of their personal circumstances.
"By visiting young people at Together for Children - in a place they are already familiar with and comfortable in - and by opening their depots for visits and the opportunity to meet some of their teams, it can break down some of the barriers care experienced young people face when they're thinking about the first steps they'll take into the world of work.
"The team at Howdens have been so welcoming and have worked with us to understand more about the things that impact the lives of cared for or care experienced young people, and what support they might need when applying for apprenticeships and jobs. They've also provided a fantastic opportunity for young people to see what the workplace can be like first-hand with the depot visits and are keen to work together to make sure that we can match young people with the right area of work and a team who will be able to support them personally and professionally. This has been a brilliant experience for all involved and we can't wait to continue working together in the New Year."
One young person who attended drop-in information session with Howdens said: "It was really informative and I'm looking forward to visiting the depot." Whilst another added: "When can I start?!"
Following the success of the drop-in sessions and depot visits, Howdens are looking to recruit young people into a number of apprenticeship roles in the New Year, including roles within customer service, furniture installation and the supply chain warehouse.
Claire Yates Waller, Area Manager at Howdens Joinery, added: "We are very excited to be working with these young people, we have been impressed by the will and determination of the young people to succeed and we are hopeful this will be the start of a great relationship going forward."
Other young people further praised the sessions delivered by Howdens and were eager to get started, saying: "I want to work and if they give me a chance, I'll graft." Another added: "I want to do something positive and start as soon as I can."
Together for Children and Howdens will be supporting young people to make applications for apprenticeship opportunities in the New Year. For those who are successful in securing employment, onsite training and development will be offered, alongside functional skills in Maths and English that will be delivered as part of the apprenticeship.
