A thousand young people are moving on in Lancashire

A project which aims to support young people in Lancashire to succeed in learning and work is this month marking helping over 1,000 students to ‘move on’.

Moving On sees the county’s colleges and training organisations come together as the Lancashire Employment and Skills Executive Partnership to offer employability skills, one to one support in English and maths, along with careers advice and guidance, to young people aged 15 to 24.

A key part of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s strategic growth plan, Moving On removes the barriers some young people face while trying to study and work, helping them develop the education, employability and personal skills to ‘move on’ successfully into work or further learning including apprenticeships.

Jointly funded by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, the £4 million project was launched in June 2016 with the aim of working with 2,500 young people across Lancashire over its two-year lifetime.

Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, the Director of the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub, which is part of the LEP, said: “This innovative project has helped transform the life chances and job prospects of 1,000 local young people so far, which is a fantastic milestone to reach.

“Moving On helps students take the next steps in their careers, putting them in a good position to take full advantage of the job opportunities the LEP will create over the next decade.

“The Moving On project is one of a range of LEP initiatives aimed at creating the skilled workforce that is an essential part of our strategic growth programme for Lancashire.”

Alex Bradley took part in Moving On while studying at training provider Creative Works Preston. She is now a hairdresser at Salon 58 in Preston.

Alex said: “Moving On was brilliant for me. I would never have been able to land my dream job without the extra help and support it gave me.”

Steve Egan, CEO at Creative Works Preston, said: “Moving On has helped us to give that extra support to those young people in Preston who haven’t yet moved into learning or work with full confidence.  It’s a fantastic project and we are looking forward to working with many more young people over the next year.”

Young people who need help finding the right course or getting into work should visit www.movingonlancs.co.uk or email info@movingonlancs.co.uk

Employers looking to help grow the skills of the local workforce by offering a work placement to a local young person can contacting Moving On at info@movingonlancs.co.uk