Worcestershire’s unemployed young people will be able to get extra support from January when a new project called Seek and Reach starts. Seek and Reach will concentrate on helping young unemployed into, or getting ready for, work, training or apprenticeships. The project has a team of workers who will be making contact with young unemployed people aged 16 to 24.

The Seek and Reach project is funded by the European Union. Seek and Reach will seek out young unemployed people and who, for one reason or another, have found it hard to get employment or go into training. These young people may have health problems, anxiety, be homeless or have faced problems at home. The project workers will be dispersed across Worcestershire with each working with a small group of young unemployed people. The workers will provide intensive and continuing support which will include preparing an individual action plan and helping young people tackle some of the issues that are making it difficult to get employment or doing training. The project is funded until March 2018 and will work with just over 250 young people. Young people who are under 18 and not in employment, education or training will be contacted by a Seek and Reach project worker while contact will be made with those over 18 through a variety of means including through agencies who already have knowledge of them.

Seek and Reach is being managed and delivered by Worcestershire youth charity Young Solutions. Phil Street, manager of Young Solutions says ‘Seek and Reach will work young unemployed people who have had some tough things to deal with in their lives and who need support to sort these out before they are able to focus on work and training’.