Baytree secures grant from Berkeley Foundation to improve access to employment for young women in our community.

Young women leaving care in Birmingham, female prisoners in Kent, and 16-30 year old women from BAME communities across London are just some of the hundreds to receive employment support and training, thanks to funding provided by The Berkeley Foundation’s Community Investment Fund.

Grants have just been awarded to six new charity partnerships which will pilot new approaches, join up services and expand proven employment programmes. One-to-one business mentoring, career-specific training, apprenticeships, and job brokerage are some of the approaches on offer.

A 2017 report for the Young Women’s Trust found that economically inactive young women, in particular, tend to be ‘written off’, and are offered limited support.

Working in partnership with High Trees Community Development Trust and Spiral Skills, Baytree will support 70 young women through one-to-one mentoring, employability skills workshops and one-to-one employment advice and job brokerage.

Caroline Guarnaccia, CEO of The Baytree Centre, said:

“The Baytree Centre, High Trees Community Development Trust and Spiral Skills are part of a strong and well established VCS partnership based in Lambeth. With the support of The Berkeley Foundation we will be delivering a 2 year long programme ‘Women into Work’ (WIW) which will support some of the most excluded young women in the borough to gain both the skills and emotional capabilities to prepare and access the job market. We are so grateful to The Berkeley Foundation for their generous grant for this much needed work”.

Sally Dickinson, Head of the Berkeley Foundation said:

“The Berkeley Foundation is committed to helping young people overcome barriers to work and access decent employment. Each of the organisations we are funding is working to empower young women with the skills, confidence and tools to take their first steps into employment. There are six exciting, collaborative organisations here and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve by working together.”

For more information about the six funded projects, visit www.berkeleyfoundation.org.uk