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UK Shared Prosperity Fund - supporting Young Londoners

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Projects overview

In 2024, the Mayor of London invested over £11m into 24 employment and skills projects through the UK Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).  

This investment supports three key activity strands and will help over 4,000 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) and deliver quality work experience to 4,000 students at risk of NEET by March 2025.

Universal NEET

This strands supports young Londoners Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET), so they can develop interpersonal skills that increase employability. This helps them progress into education, employment or further training. 

  • Lead organisation: City of London Corporation Adult Skills and Education Service
  • Delivery partners:
    • Adult Learning Divisions of the boroughs of: Haringey, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster
    • Cultiv8
    • PSEV
  • Budget: £1,510,441
  • Project aims: the project will mentor NEET young people aged 16-24 across Central London, focussing on individually tailored support, building confidence, motivation, and personal development, ultimately helping young Londoners into employment, education, or training.
  • for more info, visit Jumpstart to Success - NEET (16-24) - City of London

  • Lead organisation: The Shaw Trust Limited
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £1,437,355
  • Project aims: the project offers young people a holistic approach to developing interpersonal skills, knowledge, experience, and gain qualifications that will enable them to move into sustained employment, education, or training, offering: targeted outreach to engage, assessment of needs to ensure each young person has an Individualised Progress Plan to support with ‘Self’, ‘Lifestyle’, ‘Relationships’ and ‘Future’, ongoing one-to-one mentoring from a dedicated Change Maker Mentor.
  • for more info, visit Change Project - Shaw Trust

  • Lead organisation: Runway Apprenticeships Limited trading as Runway Training
  • Delivery partners:
    • Pathway CTM,
    • Levels Learning,
    • P4YE
    • The Harlequins Foundation.
  • Budget: £4,97,680
  • Project aims: the project offers coaching, mentoring and employability support to help young people achieve their potential. Each participant receives a needs assessment and action plan, to ensure they are supported to meet their goals and progress into education, training or employment. Our dedicated team provide one to one support, tailored to the needs of the individual.
  • for more info, visit Ignite - Runway Training

  • Lead Delivery Partner: London Learning Consortium
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £497,680
  • Project aims: London Learning Consortium’s Early Career Academy offers a programme that provides young people age 16-24 with a personal Career Coach to help them access a range of study skills, employability and personal development workshops, tailored to enhance their personal brand. Young people will also be supported to explore, identify and apply for a course or job kickstarting their long-term career aspirations, accessing work experience activities to help them boost their networks and enhance their course/job applications.

  • For more info, visit Get Ahead South London - Early Careers Academy (londonlc.org.uk)

  • Lead organisation: Martinex Limited t/a Burleigh College
  • Delivery partners:
    • Core Skills and Training,
    • PSEV,
    • Global Skills Training
  • Budget: £1,054,524
  • Project aims: the project supports 16-24 year-olds not engaged in employment, education or training. Through personalised mentoring, skills-building courses, and progression opportunities, the program fosters confidence, motivation, and personal growth, guiding participants towards successful paths in employment or further education.
  • for more info, visit West London NEET Elevate Programme | Burleigh College

Targeted NEET

This strands supports young Londoners who are NEET, furthest from the labour market and experiencing multiple disadvantages, and/or with significant additional support needs. This intervention lets them develop interpersonal skills increasing their employability, so they can progress into education, employment or further training. 

  • Lead organisation: LB Lambeth

  • Lead organisation: High Trees Community Development Trust
  • Delivery partners:
    • Rathbone,
    • Juvenis,
    • Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO)
    • Spiral.
  • Budget: £200,000
  • Project aims: the project provides targeted employment support for young people (aged between 16 and 24) who are living in Lambeth or Southwark and are not currently in education, employment or training. It’s designed to build confidence and employability skills, through support with career planning, CV writing, building interview skills, identifying job vacancies, writing applications and financial assistance to help with accessing employment.
  • for more info, visit Build Your Future - High Trees Tulse Hill, Lambeth, South London, SW2 (high-trees.org)

  • Lead organisation: Unity Works Social Enterprises
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £262,865.97
  • Project aims: this wellbeing and employment programme work with young people (16 -25) with a learning disability across Central London Boroughs who are or at risk of becoming NEET. Unity Futures will provide intense, personalised engagement to achieve progression and outcomes through a programme of 1:1 support/group sessions from a Health and Wellbeing Coach and Employment Advisor.
  • for more info, visit Unity Futures | Thera Trust

  • Lead organisation: First Rung Ltd
  • Delivery partners: PLIAS
  • Budget: £279,000
  • Project aims: the project provides participants with individualised wraparound support and training to help them overcome the barriers they face and progress sustainably to employment, training or education. It caters for young people in Enfield and Waltham Forest who belong to one or more of the Targeted NEET categories. The project is delivered in partnership with PLIAS, a specialist organisation that supports offenders to progress to employment, education or training.
  • for more info, visit Back on track — First Rung

  • Lead organisation: Employment Education Training Group Limited
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £400,000
  • Project aims: IAG certified Mentors offer flexible delivery support within Borough premises or our local hubs covering 121 support, IAG and application support, Diagnostic Assessments, Host of targeted workshops, Employability support, Accredited qualifications, Internal Princes Trust & Study Programme opportunities, Free CSCS Green and Advocacy support with Housing and benefits.
  • for more info, visit NEETS | EETGROUP

  • Lead organisation: London Skills & Development Network
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £360,000
  • Project aims: the project provides:
    • Short courses leading to entry-level.
    • Careers in key industries Cover the costs of industry licenses and mandatory requirements (e.g. CSCS, SIA, PTS,  and more)
    • Job brokerage
    • Career advice Support and mentoring

to various target groups: looked-after children and care-leavers, homeless or at risk of homelessness, participants with history of substance misuse or criminal activity, young carers and individuals with SEND.

  • Lead organisation: LB Hounslow
  • Delivery partners:
  • Learn Hounslow
  • Hounslow Youth Counselling Service (Mental health support)
  • Hounslow Action for Youth (Peer support and social entrepreneurship)
  • Spark! Education Business Partnership  (Work experience placement service)
  • LB Hounslow Skills and Employment Team (Access to employability support, traineeships/apprenticeships, and work experience with employer partners)
  • L B Hounslow Organisational Development (Opportunities for work placements and insight visits within Hounslow Council)
  • LB Hounslow 14-19 Service (Connexions) – support with CVs, Job search, applications, interview skills.
  • Budget: £252,540
  • Project aims: the project provides bespoke support for Hounslow Looked after Children and Care Leavers currently not in education, employment or training. It includes intensive 1-1 mentoring, use of Work Star, a distance-travelled tool, new opportunities for peer support linked to identified common needs, access to mental health support, functional skills tutoring through Learn Hounslow and work experience to facilitate and sustain engagement and progress towards and into Education, Employment and Training.
  • for more info, visit REACH + Succeed | Connexions | London Borough of Hounslow

  • Lead organisation: Pathway First Ltd
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £370,479
  • Project aims: Pathway Group are providing personalised support tailored for 16 – 24-year-old Care Leavers in the West London Boroughs of Brent, Barnet, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, and Hounslow. The services  address individual needs, helping young people understand their options and rights for a safe and stable living situation, and connecting them with professionals for confidential advice and support to embrace a healthier lifestyle with nutrition and exercise guidance.
  • for more info, visit Futures 4 All | Powered by Pathway Group (pathwayskillszone.ac.uk)

  • Lead organisation: Diffusion Elite Security
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £353,537 (Central)/£220,381 (West)
  • Project aims: this initiative engages inactive and unemployed NEET individuals aged 18-24 in the West & Central sub-regions, aiming to prepare them for employment in the security and hospitality sectors, aligning with GLA's tourism goals.
    The program offers Level 2/3 Door Supervisor, Mental Health, and First Aid qualifications, along with employability support and 12-16 weeks of personalised 1:1 mentoring. Key elements include Equality/Diversity and CO2 Awareness sessions, placements, guaranteed interviews, and SIA license acquisition. Post-training, mentors provide in-work support.

  • Lead organisation: Rinova Ltd
  • No delivery partners
  • Budget: £340,500 each project 
  • Project aims: Iti s dedicated to supporting NEET young people aged 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness or living in insecure housing in the Central London Forward and North & East Local London boroughs. The project provides tailored interventions and comprehensive support services, focusing on creating and offering progression routes and opportunities. Through this project, young people receive the guidance and resources necessary to develop their transferable skills through practical training and participation in social action projects, improve employability, secure meaningful employment, achieve long-term stability and independence.
  • for more info, visit Moving 4Ward - The Hospitality Academy (rinova.co.uk)

  • Lead organisation: The Football League (Community) Ltd
  • Delivery partners:
    • The Chelsea Foundation
    • Tottenham Hotspur Foundation
    • Leyton Orient Trust
    • Millwall Community Trust
    • Arsenal in the Community
    • West Ham United Foundation
    • Charlton Athletic Community Trust
    • Brentford Football Club, Community Sports Trust, 
    • Palace for Life Foundation
    • AFC Wimbledon Foundation
    • QPR in the Community Trust
  • budget: £387,493 each project in Central, North&East, West/ £236,286 in South
  • Project aims: Drawing on the power of football and the power of the club badge, English Football League (EFL) Trust ‘Training Ground’ programme offers those aged 16-24 seeking employment or further training the chance to receive one to one mentoring, participate in group life-skills workshops, undertake work experience or volunteering, to develop employability skills, and to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. The course looks after the body and mind combining both developing employability skills and improving health and wellbeing.  It is available in the following Clubs Community Trusts:
  • AFC Wimbledon
  • Arsenal
  • Brentford
  • Charlton Athletic
  • Chelsea
  • Crystal Palace
  • Leyton Orient
  • Millwall
  • Queen’s Park Rangers
  • Tottenham Hotspurs
  • West Ham

for more info, visit Training Ground Employability Programmes - EFL in the Community

Work Experience

The Work Experience strand is delivering quality work experience for students aged 16-19 who are at risk of not being in education, employment, or training (NEET). 

It aims to provide students with an understanding of the work environment and help them gain essential skills for life and for work. It engages students with the world of work to improve their careers education, sustain their motivation for education and training, and improve their chances of successful progression to their best next steps in education, training or employment. 

It also aims to build capacity of London’s education institutions to deliver quality work experience. Providers will support educators and education institutions to facilitate work experience as an integral part of the curriculum and careers education programme.  

  • Lead organisation: Step Ahead
  • Budget: £675,000 

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