NEW NCB CHIEF EXEC CALLS FOR ACTION ON LIFE SKILLS FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE
20 October 2011
Today new Chief Executive for leading
children’s charity, the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), Dr Hilary
Emery, will lead a cry to action at the NCB Annual General Meeting,
to help the most disadvantaged young people in our society. NCB
work through listening to and working with children and young
people; including providing practical intervention schemes that
equip young people with vital life skills needed to find
employment.
Dr Hilary Emery, National Children’s Bureau Chief
Executive said: ‘Figures released last week showing youth
unemployment at a record high, added to cuts to youth services,
increases in university fees, scrapping of EMA and the constant
negative images of young people portrayed in the media, all
conspire to portray a bleak prospect for our future generation.
‘We need action and investment now – listening to and working
with children and young people, developing partnership work across
the sector and increased investment – to provide services and
support that meet their needs and increase the opportunities
available. Society needs to show it cares about children and young
people’s experiences now and is interested in their future
success
Delegates and NCB Members at today’s Annual General Meeting will
welcome students from Park Lane School in Halifax, a school that
had been in special measures but has now successfully turned its
prospects, and those of its pupils around. Six students will give
presentations on the volunteer projects they worked on as part of
the NCB Life Skills programme, talking about how the programme
helped to change how they feel about themselves, their schools and
their community.
NCB’s life skills and employability projects have successfully
achieved:
• 83% follow through rates to further employment or education
(70% employment)
• significant increase in skills needed for employment, such as
teamwork, problem solving and communication
• increased commitment and engagement to their communities via
volunteering
• giving young people the confidence to know they can change
their lives
• awards accredited through ASDAN, allowing them to proceed
towards a formal qualification
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors: For further details contact the NCB Media
Office:
media@ncb.org.uk 020 7843 6045/7 or 0772 109 7033
1. NCB’s life skills and employment programmes include Young
NCB, Young Inspectors, Life Routes and the Skills Development
Programme.
2. The National Children’s Bureau’s (NCB) mission is to advance
the well-being of all children and young people across every aspect
of their lives. As the leading national charity which supports
children, young people and families, and those who work with them,
across England and Northern Ireland, we focus on identifying and
communicating high impact, community and family-centred solutions.
We work with organisations from across the voluntary, statutory and
private sectors through our membership scheme and through the
sector-led specialist networks and partnership programmes that
operate under our charitable status. www.ncb.org.uk
