Discovery College, part of Honicknowle based charity YMCA Plymouth, has been awarded a Petroc Community Grant, funded by the European Social Fund. The grant was awarded to support their successful #Futures project – an employability programme helping local young people who are not currently in employment, education or training.
The programme has been running for 4 years, enabling over 60 young people through mentoring and training to take their next steps. The course supports those who have struggled to find work or stay in education and find themselves disengaged or excluded.
Taking a different approach to traditional employability programmes, the course builds participants skills and confidence through a variety of activities. These range from enterprise tasks to crafts and personal finance. The project culminates in the young people managing and running their own community event.
In partnership with south west charity, Families for Children, the course takes place at Lopwell Barn, an inspiring location which is nestled along the River Tavy, in the Tamar Valley ‘Area of Outstanding Beauty’.
The Petroc grant was awarded to Discovery College to help them reach more young people, enabling them to take part in more off-site activities as well as provide much needed resources and equipment. The ESF project was designed to support small organisations to re-engage disadvantaged people, enabling their progress to employment.
Tom Lavis, Head of Discovery College said:
“We’re extremely pleased to have been awarded this grant which recognises the outstanding contributions our staff make to support our local young people. As a small charity and college, we receive little external support, so a grant like this will make a big impact. The grant will enable us to purchase new resources and materials, as well as offer a greater range of opportunities for participants.”
Talking about the programme, Chloe, a previous #Futures participant said:
“It helped me to get out of the house and do things that I wouldn’t normally do. As well as gaining the qualifications I needed, the course enabled me to progress to University. I’m really thankful for all the support I received.”
To find out more about #Futures or other vocational training at Discovery College, visit discoverycollege.org.uk. For more details about PETROC, visit petroc.ac.uk
