The Champions

Delivered by Artswork, the project aims to train and support forty young volunteers aged between 19-25 to mentor NEET groups in the North East and the South East from April 2009 until March 2011.

The Structure

The Regional Co-ordinator will work with all volunteers to develop two “Squads” to support NEET groups:

The Champions Job Squad will provide personalised guidance including

  • life-planning;
  • career identification;
  • accompany NEET young people to job centres;
  • CV help;
  • mock interviews.

The Champions Info Squad will provide practical support

  • accompanying NEET young people to interviews and open days
  • completing application forms.
  • sourcing local training opportunities;
  • finding local educational opportunities;
  • locating local volunteering opportunities.
‘The Champions’ will train up two ‘Squads’, of young people’s champions to assist NEET young people (primarily16-19) to identify/ access available choices, opportunities and routes back into education, employment and training. Two Regional Co-ordinators will recruit groups of 10 (non-NEET)young volunteers (19-25) to be trained as members of a ‘Job Squad’. The Job Squad will provide personalised guidance including a range of motivational support/ practical assistance re work readiness and advanced key skills development including:
  • life-planning;
  • career identification;
  • accompany NEET young people to job centres;
  • CV help;
  • mock interviews.
In addition 10 young volunteers in each region (same profile) will be trained to form an ‘Info Squad’ offering advice, information, support to NEET young people (16-19) on accessing the following:
  • local training opportunities;
  • local educational opportunities;
  • local volunteering opportunities.

This Squad will also offer practical support in terms of accompanying NEET young people to interviews and open days and completing application forms.

The Regional Co-ordinators will support to the ‘Squads’(40 young volunteers) and will co-ordinate the infrastructure of the project:
  • ensure that the project has active links with existing youth support and advice agencies;
  • organise locations for the personalised guidance sessions;
  • provide key safeguarding overview.

The project will take place over 2 years in Southampton and Newcastle.

For more about The Champions in the North East…

For more about The Champions in the South East…

For more about How to volunteer on the project…

For more about How your organisation can get involved…