To mark Movement to Work's second anniversary of getting young people into work, Iain Conn, Centrica CEO, co-hosted an event to share the programme's success.
With 764,000 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the UK[1], youth unemployment is an issue that no business can ignore. As a leading British company, we are helping tackle this issue by providing high quality training and employment opportunities that include those delivered through Movement to Work.
Centrica is a founding member of Movement to Work which is a collaboration of UK employers committed to providing vocational training and work experience for young people. Placements combine training and on-the-job experience, running around 4-6 weeks for unemployed young people aged 16-24.
To mark Movement to Work’s second anniversary, Iain Conn, Chief Executive of Centrica together with other participating companies, hosted an event to celebrate the programme’s successes and to encourage even more employers to pledge their support.
At the event, attended by some of Britain’s top employers, thirty leading UK companies including Adecco, Fujitsu, Laing O'Rourke, Office Depot, Siemens and Xerox, pledged to offer vocational training and work experience placements for young people.
Meanwhile existing members of Movement to Work promised to continue their commitment, which they described as ‘enduring.’
By the end of 2015, Centrica will have provided opportunities for 450 young people through Movement to Work. The placements help young people develop invaluable work skills and experience while improving their self-confidence and motivation, and many go on to secure employment with us.
Speaking at the event, Iain Conn, Chief Executive of Centrica, said:
“With many young people, they come to us and they’re quite clearly at a dead end. Confidence was the big barrier for them- but of those who have gone onto training or employment at Centrica, 96% have ended up in full-time jobs. Many were capable but didn’t believe it. We have opened the door to the world of work. It’s our job tonight to keep that door open.”
As it heads into its second year, Movement to Work exclusively revealed its latest impact on the lives of young people. More than 30,000 unemployed young people have undertaken work experience placements through the programme and over half have gone on to secure jobs. Indeed, around 70% of private sector placements led to jobs.
It’s clear that Movement to Work is making a big difference to young people, and we look forward to continuing this good work into 2016 and beyond.
Find out more about Movement to Work or our other skills programmes.