1000 Club celebrates a year of success
Companies, organisations big and small are being invited to a birthday bash for a club that’s helped over 1,000 young people get a taste for work.
The 1000 Club was set up last Autumn to make it easier for young people and employers to team up to better suit each other's needs.
Now 12 months on, the club is saying a big thank-you to all those who have helped make its first year such a success. The figures speak for themselves:
- 374 in employment
- 372 apprenticeships
- 165 graduate internships
- 176 work placements
- 503 student work experience placements
Hundreds of organisations and businesses have signed up to the 1000 Club, including major city companies Kawasaki, First Great Western, Burt’s Crisps, Babcocks, Rittal, Pipex and Plymouth Citybus.
The celebration will also be a crucial networking event for more young people hoping to get work. At each table there will be a young person who will be talking to the business representatives around the table in a more friendly setting.
Delegates will hear about some of the 1000 Club successes so far, the support that the club can provide, apprentice grants that are available as well as wage incentives and internship support.
Councillor Leader Tudor Evans said: “I can’t thank the companies and organisations of Plymouth enough for making this club work, for giving people a chance to try work, to give them experience and self-confidence.
“It’s been an extraordinary success story where businesses and individuals have really stepped up to lend a helping hand to the next generation who want to work but are in a catch 22 situation of not having enough experience. By working as one city, this one club has had a phenomenal impact on our young and is changing lives.
The 1000 Club was set up through the Plymouth Growth Board – a partnership between business and senior public sector leaders.
Chair of the Growth Board and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, Paul Woods said: “We have many able and enthusiastic young people who find themselves in a job market at one of the worst possible times. By offering work experience in all kinds of forms, we are helping these young people get their foot in the door.
Businesses gain from this arrangement too. Many young people offer a fresh prospective and different skills that can lead to new ideas and new trade.”
The club is further developing member services which will include employer support packs, to make it easy for busy companies to consider generic activities for work experience placements, student placements and apprenticeships that not only help the young person's development, but could also help the business.
'Behind the Scenes' visits for members are being set up for members to visit interesting businesses in the city and the 1000 club is further strengthening its brokerage service for businesses and agencies.
The 1000 Club is one of 19 projects in Plymouth’s Plan for Jobs, a concentrated effort by the Council to bring together actions and commitments from city organisations to pump energy, motivation and substantial funding into the local economy to stimulate growth and jobs.
Bob Harrison from the National Apprenticeship Service added: "The 1000 Club has shown how agencies working together across the city have given young people the opportunity to gain successful employment which includes a significant number of apprenticeship starts. The success of the 1000 Club is being recognised by other cities across England and they are now using our model to get more employers engaged in giving young people their first step in to work which will not only boost their business, but will contribute to their local economy."
The 1000 Club is currently targeting smaller businesses. For more information visit www.1000club.co.uk.
