The Prince's Trust supports 11-30 year olds moving into jobs, education and training.

Over the last ten years, The Prince's Trust have achieved an outstanding contribution- £1.4 billion- to society through their help for disadvantaged young people. This disadvantaged cohort includes those with criminal convictions or those at risk of offending.

In October, we attended a Connect and Explore event, organised by The Prince's Trust and their West London team. This event brought together key charities, agencies and employers- such as Key4Life, The Forward Trust and Working Chance- in order to discuss how we can work together to provide better opportunities for ex-offenders and young people at risk of offending. Events like this emphasise the importance of partnership work and the ability to share resources in order to have a bigger impact.

Three inspirational young people- Abdul, Leon and La'Jay- were invited to share their stories and how getting involved with The Prince's Trust helped them. They all expressed a need to help more vulnerable young ex-offenders find employment from navigating disclosure checks to interview tips, additional training courses and career progression.

Leon's work has been recognised by The Prince's Trust Award in London and the South East. This year, he received the Homesense Young Achiever award. Leon has gone from strength to strength and he discovered his passion for media by getting involved with the Trust. Following on from a placement, he was able to build connections and open doors into the film industry. Leon has worked on blockbuster films such as Paddington and Fantastic Beasts and he currently works in the costume department. Please click here to read more about his story in his own words.

Find yourself the right opportunity. Find something that is going to grow you and not conceal you and keep you stuck.

-Leon

The Prince's Trust run many different free programmes for disadvantaged young people to get involved with. Please click here to explore the opportunities on offer, from learning entrepreneurial skills and starting your own business to their 'Get into' initiative which offers mentoring, on the job experience and training.

La'Jay secured work by attending a #GetHired event, run by The Prince's Trust. He regularly gives inspirational talks in prisons and works closely with The Prince's Trust.

The Prince's Trust #GetHired enterprise is a networking event for young job seekers from all backgrounds and businesses looking for fresh talent. Businesses pitch their job opportunities to young people and The Prince's Trust facilitates speed interviews. StandardLife Aberdeen, a global investment company, have recently won the Regional Impact Award 2019 for the phenomenal role they play in supporting the #GetHired project. Over 50% of young people have reached a positive outcome following a #GetHired event.

Are you a forward-thinking employer who would like to offer opportunities for young ex-offenders and those at risk of offending? Would you like to showcase your opportunities at a #GetHired event? Please do get in touch with The Prince's Trust directly via their website.