Unique summer jobs programme supports young people at risk of violence

Hundreds of vulnerable young people are enjoying paid work placements with employers including Veolia, Burger King and Timpson thanks to an employability programme inspired by schemes in the USA.

National youth work charity UK Youth has been awarded £1.5 million by the Youth Endowment Fund, the Department of Culture Media and Sport and the Youth Futures Foundation to develop and deliver The Summer Jobs Programme in the UK.

It comes after similar programmes in American cities such as Chicago, New York and Boston demonstrated a significant impact on participants’ involvement in crime and violence.

The programme offers paid employment and highly skilled youth worker support to hundreds of young people aged 16-25 at risk of violence in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and a number of London boroughs.

More than 400 young people have taken part, completing placements in their local area with more than 90 different employers, from varied sectors including not-for-profit, hospitality, local government, construction, technology, education and youth services. 

Jay Laven, operations manager at London-based delivery partner Catch22, said: “The Summer Jobs Programme is an amazing initiative and offers young people at risk of violence or facing other significant risks a genuine and authentic route into employment. We are proud to be a local delivery partner, supporting our young people into meaningful paid work opportunities.” 

Thora Eberts, UK Youth director of network delivery, said: “We are thrilled to have mobilised this Summer Jobs Programme pilot this summer, resulting in more than 400 young people taking part in meaningful, paid employment.

The six-week programme includes a preparation week and five weeks of work, all with the dedicated support of a youth worker. Young people have been gaining essential skills needed to support future employment.

“Participants have praised their preparation week with the vital support of their youth workers and have been loving their placements. We are so grateful to the employers for taking part and look forward to expanding the programme going forward.”

The programme follows a similar project delivered in Illinois, which has seen a drop in violent crime since One Summer Chicago was launched more than a decade ago. OSC brings together government institutions, community organisations and employers to offer employment and internship opportunities to young people.

One young person who took part said: “I just didn’t want to be in the house doing nothing all day. I just wouldn’t really be doing anything. I’d be going to the gym, maybe, but after that I’d just be lying in bed watching TV. I’m glad I can actually get something done during my day.”

Jon Yates, YEF executive director, said: “Young people need opportunities and the Summer Jobs programme provides just that. It offers an important first step on the career ladder, adds valuable experience to their CV and puts money in their pockets.

“In the US, programmes like this also appear to have kept children safe from getting involved in violence. We want to find out if this programme can make the same positive difference here.”

The programme is now being evaluated by The Ending Youth Violence Lab to assess demand among young people and employers. If successful, it will expand in 2025 and 2026 in order to measure the impact it has on a range of outcomes for young people, including involvement in violence, engagement with education and longer-term employment

Tom McBride, The Ending Youth Violence Lab director, said: “The Summer Jobs programme is an exciting opportunity to understand whether short-term paid employment, combined with high-quality youth worker support, can improve the life chances of vulnerable young people. It will rigorously assess whether the impacts on reducing youth violence seen in the US can be replicated here, alongside measuring the difference this makes to young people’s self-confidence, aspirations and employment prospects.” 

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 8,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org 

UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability, including Hatch, a youth employability programme run in partnership with KFC. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes

The Youth Endowment Fund aims to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence, by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice. The charity is part of the What Works Network, an initiative to improve the way government and other public sector organisations create, share and use high quality evidence in decision-making.

The Ending Youth Violence Lab is a new venture between Stuart Roden, The Youth Endowment Fund and The Behavioural Insights Team which seeks to be part of the solution to ending youth violence and improving outcomes for children.

The Behavioural Insights Team is one of the world’s leading behavioural science consultancies, working around the world to improve people’s lives. It works in partnership with governments, local authorities, businesses and NGOs in more than 30 countries, often using simple changes to tackle major policy problems and deliver improved public services and social outcomes.

BIT was established by the UK government in 2010. In 2014, it became an independent social purpose company, part owned by the Cabinet Office and innovation agency Nesta, and since 2021 has been entirely owned by Nesta.