Career Connect
Providing career advice for vulnerable people
Established in 2001 as Greater Merseyside Connexions Partnership, Career Connect has become a leading provider of careers information advice and guidance to young people and adults in its area.
Career Connect’s Unlocking Potential is a social impact bond which has been aiming to reach those aged between 14 and 17 who are currently either NEET (not in education, employment or training) or those at risk of becoming NEET to improve their chances of either staying in education, or getting into a career or training programme.
The organisation identified clear parallels between those young people currently either at risk of or currently NEET and mental health and or emotional wellbeing issues, and has identified early intervention measures and tools to help its beneficiaries get the help they need to deal with those. It has adapted a “needs led approach” to “ensure we worked with and met the needs of the most excluded and disadvantaged young people” affected by these issues.
To date, the programme has worked with 4040 young people in Greater Merseyside, 91 per cent of whom have either met or exceeded their goals. Only 33 of the more than 4,000 14 to 17 year olds who have taken part in the Unlocking Potential programme are still currently NEET, which highlights the important and success of early intervention.
The Unlocking Potential SIB has achieved these returns at a cost of £2.91m, a cost benefit of more than 50 per cent to the tax payer per delivered outcome.
CC reg no: 1141077
