Our Services

We offer a wide range of unique and innovative skills development programs to provide platforms and opportunities for young people in the advancement of education, employment and entrepreneurship.

EDUCATION

Step Up Youth meets the needs of young people holistically through informal and non-formal methods of education. The lack of access to quality education restricts standards of living and also makes it easier for young people from disadvantaged communities to be manipulated. Some of the main challenges associated with this include poor educational structures and limited financial inclusion, which can restrict economic potential.

Lack of Social capital can be targeted through non-formal learning activities, which aim at enhancing the skills and competences of young people as well as their active citizenship. Increased attention to improving participation rates of young people, particularly marginalized youth, is needed to ensure that they acquire these skills, capacities, knowledge and ethical values needed to fulfil their role as agents of development, good governance, social inclusion, tolerance and peace.

Education being important in eradicating poverty and hunger, also helps promote sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and sustainable development. At Step up youth, we believe that Increased efforts towards education accessibility, quality and affordability are paramount to societal development.

Our goal at Step Up Youth is to ensure that the learning needs of all young people are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programs.

Many education and training systems do not provide young people with the basic skills needed to escape poverty and unemployment, even when they continue to receive formal education. Non- formal education programs seek to fill this gap by providing learning and skills development opportunities that are relevant to the context in which young people live and seek their livelihoods. It facilitates the learning of life-relevant knowledge and skills, especially for disadvantaged and marginalized groups.

Non-formal education is not an alternative to formal education, but rather complimentary in providing a more fully rounded and skills based approach, equipping youth to meet the competing demands of work and personal life. Non formal education is an effective tool as it caters for every type of learner. Auditory, visual, kinesthetic- there are interactive sections within our programs dedicated to each type of learner where they are not just listening to teacher all day.

How We Work

We provide our workshops and services through collaborations with PRU’s to target NEETS, councils, schools, colleges and universities as well. We use approaches that are more productive and inclusive, preparing students well for undergraduate studies.

That is why incorporating skills of resilience, curiosity, empathy and a tolerance of views not their own, represents for us the best preparation for bright, well-motivated young people.

“If you judge a fish by its ability to fly, it will live the rest of its life thinking that it’s stupid”. Albert Einstein

We believe in honing in on the strengths that students have, therefore our unique GRAVITY (r) model is able to help students discover their talents, find their voice, pursue their passions and realise their dreams.

Our view is that education in the UK needs to become more Intercultural in its outlook in order for our young people to prosper in an increasingly global community. Within our culturally intelligent programs, students not only learn what they need to complete their studies but also learn to think critically and be open to new ways of operating, so they are ready for an unknown future.

What We Do

We are diffusing skills and knowledge through social and educational inclusion to help combat inequality. In tackling the social mobility crisis, we advocate for the retention and completion of tertiary education for young people mainly from disadvantaged communities by providing them with university scholarships to access higher education with good institutions.

We facilitate learning through experiential opportunities that are not structured in formal processes via the traditional curriculum of schools and universities, accomplishing this by providing informal and non-formal education processes to support our young people. We are investing in young people, exposing them to secular tends of the future through our tech and coding program.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela

EMPLOYMENT

Fighting high levels of unemployment, particularly among young people, is one of the most urgent tasks in the UK. With youth unemployment at persistently high levels nationwide, such rates act to jeopardize social inclusion, cohesion and stability.

The persistence of youth unemployment and under-employment suggests that mechanisms for anticipating and developing skills relevant to the world of work are not functioning to the level necessary. Too many young people leave school prematurely running a high risk of being unemployed and socially marginalised.

Our goal at Step Up Youth is to improve the career prospects and life opportunities of young people who are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) and face barriers to finding and keeping decent jobs.

Our programs help to tackle youth unemployment by reducing the number of NEETS, which in turn reduces criminal activity. We aim to democratise the access to resources that encourage the impact in community innovation, job creation, and improved health and environmental outcomes. We champion better work and working lives for disadvantaged groups, ensuring that diversity and inclusion remain top of all organisations agendas.

The pandemic crisis is expected to create more obstacles in the labour market and to lengthen the transition from school to work. Step Up Youth is looking to partner with charities, local authorities, social enterprises, employers, government and of course young people, to get to the heart of why so many individuals starting out in their careers have insufficient opportunities to thrive and contribute fully to our economy. Our mission is to invest in bold and imaginative ways to help young people find and retain employment.

WORKSHOPS

Career Guidance

With a constantly changing world that expects young people to make complex decisions regarding their personal challenges alongside their future career choices, this can all be quite confusing and frustrating.

Being at constant crossroads, they are often grappled with questions such as: what career options are available, what paths to take, how to reach dreams, and who can provide help?

Our workshops help to answer all these questions, enabling youth to discover their talents, likes, passions, and strengths to capitalise on. Working with career guidance practitioners, they are able to reflect on their interests, skills and aptitudes and how these relate to their future career options.Our services are delivered in partnership with schools, councils and employment organisations.

We also expose our young people to opportunities in voluntary experiences and work opportunities to challenge misconceptions and stereotypes on certain careers. We are mindful that decisions on career choices are also influenced by other factors, such as upbringing, role models, peers and other socio-economic factors.

Parents also have an important role to play during this critical time career development process, therefore it is crucial to understand the level of support and influence they get from their parents as this can have an impact on their career choices.

Writing workshops

Working with experienced writing experts within our team, we offer workshops that cover:

Apprenticeships

Through our Apprenticeship program, we collaborate with employers to provide internships that will provide experience for our young people and give them a head start in their career paths. We facilitate visits to potential places of work, talks by employers and job exposure experiences;

We advocate for productive employment and decent work for all, promoting sustainable economic growth and helping to combat inequality within society.

ENTERPRISE

We advocate for equality and the empowerment of youth, including economic empowerment through trade, business and enterprise by providing leadership and entrepreneurship training and mentorship. We are addressing the needs of people at the bottom of the income ladder by our commitment to advancing entrepreneurship, innovation, excellence, inclusivity and sustainable economic growth so that our young people get an opportunity to participate in the economy. Consequently, as a result of our programs, we help reduce criminal activity by intercepting country lines through teaching young people about clean entrepreneurship early.

Young people are taught how they can turn their passion into a business and make money from it. They develop an understanding of business and entrepreneurship whilst improving and increasing everyday life skills. Our programmes consistently develop: Understanding of business and entrepreneurship, confidence, communication skills, interpersonal skills, self-esteem, financial literacy, leadership; and teamwork. Resilience and self-esteem are also cultivated for long term motivation.

In collaboration with Banks, we are helping to improve economic equality through connecting emerging entrepreneurs to financial services. We provide financial literacy training to young people, increasing greater financial resilience and ensuring a sustainable economy and better savings for the future.