Connected Futures: place-based change
Place-based partnerships that foster localised solutions to the complex employment challenges facing marginalised young people.
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CloseYouth unemployment varies widely across the country, with where you live playing a major role. While one in eight young people are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), but in places like Blackpool and Burnley, unemployment rates are twice as high as in nearby areas. The reasons behind these disparities differ – local economies, education opportunities, and other social factors all shape the challenges young people face in finding work.
Young people told us what they need – the right employment support from the right place at the right time to help them into the right jobs for them.
We want to build a coherent and connected system that puts their needs, strengths and ambitions at the centre and helps them achieve their goals.
Launched in 2022, our place-based Connected Futures programme brings together delivery organisations, local authorities, and young people localised partnerships across England to drive systems change.
Each local partnership works with young people from marginalised backgrounds within their place and local context to:
We are supporting each of our partnerships to progress through three distinct phases to deliver systemic change:
4 partner coalition
2 partner coalition
5 partner coalition
3 partner coalition
3 partner coalition
3 partner coalition
3 partner coalition
3 partner coalition
3 partner coalition
1 partner coalition
“The future of work for young people isn’t about one-size-fits-all solutions. Through Connected Futures we’re able to work with organisations and young people in places and within their local context, to co-create impactful local solutions that will help create systems change, for a thriving youth employment landscape.
“It’s been exciting to see young people take the lead across the Connected Futures programme, and we know this is already changing how local decision-makers think about the issue of youth employment.”
Louise Rands, Head of Programmes – Connected Futures
From Blackpool to Brent, young people and Connected Futures partnerships are beginning to explore possible solutions, such as helping to develop a curriculum that helps young people get ready for work or changing how employers recruit.
As we move into the next year of the programme, we’re excited to start testing their ideas.
If you have any questions about our grants programme, please contact the grants team on grants@youthfuturesfoundation.org