Skill Up Step Up is a £1 million campaign to help jobless young people get into work
Last week, the two news brands’ joint investigation into youth employment found that one in five young Londoners seeking work found themselves jobless, a rate six times higher than the national rate at all ages. Now, Skill Up Step Up will help disadvantaged youth to get their first step on their career ladder.
The campaign is partnering with Barclays, the bank already having donated £1 million to provide grants to a select group of charities offering employment training to jobless young people. With money to start and charities getting involved, the initiative is now encouraging employers to make offers for jobs and apprenticeships. Readers are also being asked to donate to continue to fund the scheme.
In an open letter to readers, the Evening Standard’s proprietor and major shareholder in The Independent Lord Evgeny Lebedev said: “We are calling on employers to step up to the plate with job or apprenticeship offers and we are asking you, our readers, to donate what you can.
“As we negotiate the twists and turns of this pandemic, we must make sure that nobody is left behind, We can’t let our city’s disadvantaged youth fall through the cracks. They have so much to offer. I am sure you will step up and help to skill up. I have no doubt that it will transform their lives.”
Read more about the initiative here.
