End of Kickstart for the Young Leaders Project

We have now come to the end of the Kickstart scheme on the Young Leaders project, nearly two years after starting, and have had an amazing experience of bringing so many young people into Ethos. We have had challenges and massive successes, but the outcomes have been the proof in the pudding of what the future of work should look like: one where all people, regardless of age, should have the chance to experience meaningful work in a way that works for them.

The project has been underpinned, like all that we do in Ethos, by the Value Exchange. It allows us to unlock the talent of anyone who wants to work with us and helps to create valuable outcomes. Young Leaders provided the ultimate test of the Value Exchange and really proved how a people centric approach which focuses on “doing” rather than being “done to” can have fantastic results.

Our Achievements:

• Employed 60 young people from all across the United Kingdom
• Partnered with Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit to employ young leaders from the area who were at risk of poor outcomes
• Provided a tailored wellbeing programme encouraging community and resilience
• Worked with Google to provide 1:1 mentorship and certified courses
• Supported Young Leaders to deliver external work packages with organisations like MediaTrust, Get Berkshire Active, Quakers and Business and the National Youth Agency
• Helped build the business cases for 5 young leaders so they could become full time salaried partners at Ethos.

The real achievements though are in the experiences of the Young Leaders themselves. We have a whole collection of their stories which I really recommend taking the time to read. They showcase the wide variety of talents, backgrounds and the barriers young people must often overcome to get into work.

The talent can be seen in the results produced by young leaders, like the creation of a funded workplace bullying film Hostile Work Environment, which was highly commended by the commissioning organisation. Or the support given to Ethos Wilder which led to one Young Leader providing the voice of the youth at Thriving Places for Nature and People – a consultation held at St George’s House, Windsor Castle. A couple of young leaders even had some entrepreneurial spirit and started their own projects: aspect magazine and ReadTrip, which had significant success. Every young leader brought so much social value.

One Young Leader who stayed on as a full time partner after her kickstart finished shares her story:

Charlotte Kinloch:

“I was one of the first young leaders to join the programme and it has truly been a life changing experience. After some not so good experiences in the workplace, Young Leaders gave me the opportunity to explore and develop a better understanding of what motivates me, what my skills are and where I can excel. Joining Young Leaders so early on meant I also had the opportunity to help shape what the programme would look like and I am so proud of the outcomes that have been delivered.”

“Perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of the project has been the bringing together and creation of a community of young people who wholeheartedly want to see each other succeed. Never have I witnessed such an authentically supportive community. The wide variety of lived experiences within both cohorts of young leaders and the ways in which we have all learned so much from each other is something I will cherish forever. Every single young leader brought their own unique value to Ethos during their time with us and had a lasting impact. I for one feel incredibly honoured to have been a part of this amazing initiative and as we continue to work with many brilliant people and organisations I know this is only the beginning of Ethos’ ongoing mission to support young people to be their best selves, whatever that looks like for them.”

Young Leaders won’t be finishing here and we’ll be talking about the exciting times to come for the project soon.