Case studies

Whilst most of the jobs are being created within the public and voluntary sectors, Leeds Ahead is working with the private sector to create jobs to help resource their corporate social responsibility function.

To date, 23 such roles have been created thanks to Premier Farnell, Yorkshire Bank, Kodak, Hewlett Training and Feature Media.

Steven Webb, Company Secretary and General Counsel for Premier Farnell plc said ‘We believe that it is imperative that responsible businesses take action to create opportunities for young people and working with the Future Jobs Fund has given us the chance to offer a young person access to training and development, as well as a guaranteed income. The Fund offers employers a paid role to support their community work, and in return the Company invests time and experience in developing that young person, making them better able to find a job after the programme."

Alan Cooper, Managing Director of Hewlett Construction said "By offering young people paid work we hope to improve their working opportunities. Working with us gives them the chance to develop skills in the workplace and get a real feel for the job. It will put them in a stronger position to find future work." 

Peter Balderstone completed a Future Jobs Fund placement with Leeds Ahead and sees this as a great opportunity to gain experience in a sector that interests him. ‘Before the Future Jobs Fund, I found the whole job search process very difficult. I was applying for jobs, and didn't have enough experience to even get an interview. But how can you get experience unless someone is willing to give you're a chance? Now I have an opportunity to gain experience in a field that really interests me, and I'm learning what's expected of me in a professional place of work'

Employees from 02 and RBS were given some background information ahead of the day. On their arrival at the school in the morning the volunteers attended a briefing and were then paired off to attend classes. Facilitated by the class teacher, volunteers interacted with each class, encouraging pupils to discuss the advantages of working; from learning new things and being able to support yourself and family, to buying a home, meeting people and perhaps travelling the world. The children aged 4 to 11 were then invited to write down their ‘dream job' on a piece of paper. These were collected in individual boxes for each class and the boxes buried beneath a corkscrew hazel tree in the school grounds, provided by 02. The children have named this their ‘Dream Tree'. At the end of the school day parents were invited into the school and to Space@ to hear about what the children had done that day.

Programme Manager Liz Casey from 02's Customer Service Centre in Leeds said: "We wanted to widen the children's horizons and raise their aspirations. They were very excited, interested and eager to put forward their own thoughts and opinions about the world of work. The jobs they dreamed of doing ranged from working in the ambulance service to becoming a doctor or a footballer. One little boy wanted to be a Power Ranger!"

Warren Parratt from RBS said "We ourselves found the experience so rewarding and the feedback from school staff was very positive. The children were so enthusiastic and a credit the school. It was so nice to be involved on such a project where we could make a difference in the community." The day-long event also aimed at making parents aware of potential employment opportunities. As a result of the day, 45 people from the community signed up for courses at Space@ that could lead to a qualification or a job.

This is a project where businesses can make a real contribution to raising the aspirations of young children, helping them to link their learning now, to their futures and the world of work. Only by raising the aspirations of our young people will we begin to have a real impact on creating economic and vibrant communities within our inner cities. Investment into the city of Leeds is set to continue and the job opportunities created by this investment cannot be met by the current workforce, this and projects like it are part of a wider programme to invest in the city's future workforce.

Leeds Ahead offers businesses the opportunity to participate in a range of projects like the World of Work day in a number of inner city schools. The day is particularly successful when there is also an opportunity for parents and carers to be involved too.

Sharon wanted to help retain and grow business in an increasingly competitive environment, she also identified effective leadership and negotiation skills as her own personal development objectives.
When she requested a mentor Sharon acknowledged that "there is much to learn from considering issues with someone who looks at things from a very different perspective".
Caroline has been with Yorkshire Bank for 12 years, working in the marketing function for 7 of those. She volunteered to be a mentor motivated by a desire to give something back to her local community and further her professional development.

Sharon and Caroline meet at regular intervals and remain in touch by email in between meetings. One year on from the initial match Sharon reported that "We have focused on relationships with the Board and operational issues. In helping me to find resolutions, generate ideas to act upon and reach conclusions, I have had helpful advice based on Caroline's own experience and expertise."

Both mentor and mentee find that the relationship has been mutually beneficial because in facing common issues they are able to support each other. As a mentor, Caroline has found that her own confidence has increased and that she can share her mentoring experiences with her team and stakeholders.
Both parties feel that the benefits of the mentoring have spread to their respective staff teams.

When asked to consider the impact of her mentoring role on herself and her business, Caroline said "I have been able to apply principles and techniques from St Anne's back in the office. I have also enjoyed using some of my practical experience to help others that provides a real sense of satisfaction."

Colin Fyfe, Director of People and Management Development at Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank said, "As part of the Bank's community engagement programme, our managers have the opportunity to mentor community leaders. Seeing the world from a different perspective and having the opportunity to develop personally and professionally out of the workplace is invaluable both to the Bank and to our staff."

Pinsent Masons, in conjunction with its client Wates Living Space, sent teams of volunteers to St Michael's College. The two teams worked alongside some former Crypt clients who are now working as employees of the Crypt. They undertook renovation works to the main dining room and hallways as well as the male and female bedrooms.

Pinsent Masons and Wates living Space contributed a total of over 112 hours which led to support for 80 people and leverage £1,125.

Stacey Collins from Pinsent Masons said "It was a very enjoyable project: it was great to be able to work closely with a client towards such a worthwhile cause. We had some good banter with Wates and formed a good team". Ian Burnett, Managing Director of Wates Living Space, said "We are pleased that this year, through partnership working with Pinsent Masons our teams were jointly able to assist St George's Crypt with the makeover of temporary hostel premises".

Both business teams benefited from the experience and got a rare chance to work together out of the office. The Pinsent Masons team also reported picking up some handy decorating tips for the future. The project will help the Crypt continue to offer its service which many people are dependent upon. Chris Fields, St George's Crypt Operations Director, said "This very practical support will save us money, provide excellent bonding opportunities for the corporate team, and will fulfil a really important task as we prepare to relocate temporarily".

Martin Patterson, Fundraising Director for St George's Crypt said "I was struck by the sense of camaraderie and the real pride in what everybody was doing. It was also great to see how well construction company staff and solicitors can get on together".

This project took place in conjunction with Leeds Legal, which promotes the collective legal services of the city, and delivered in association with the environmental charity, Groundwork Leeds. 

Local residents and resident groups were asked to identify environmental tasks that needed to be undertaken in their areas and to open community facilities to host the working parties.  Volunteers were given a site briefing, and provided with all the tools, materials and instructions required by our partner, Groundwork Leeds.  Over a period of 5 days volunteers donated in excess of 2,000 hours of their time; painting public underpasses in Little London; clearing litter in Bramley; tidying gardens in Gipton, area-wide tidy ups in Chapeltown and landscaping in Beeston.  Volunteers were split into teams to encourage networking and teambuilding opportunities, and teams took part in a variety of tasks throughout the day.

Local school children from Little London Primary School created mural designs for several of the underpasses in their area, and also worked alongside volunteers to litter pick and plant bulbs.

Over 280 volunteers from 13 of the city's legal firms donated their time to what turned out to be the biggest volunteer project from one profession in Leeds.  

By working with local residents, school children and partners, the volunteers delivered tangible environmental improvements across the city.  In Gipton alone over 27 tonnes of rubbish were collected, 4,000  bulbs planted, 300 bollards painted, 38 gardens cleared and 25 instances of fly tipping removed.

The volunteers helped deliver environmental improvements, creating a safer, cleaner and greener environment for those living in the neighbourhoods.  The activities complimented a range of other projects supported by business in the area, such as school projects and support for enterprise.  Local resident groups benefited from such highly visible support, giving those striving to improve their own communities a much needed boost.  Engaging local school children in the activities fostered a level of pride and responsibility for their neighbourhood and by working alongside volunteers from outside their area preconceptions were challenged and children's aspirations broadened.

Paul joined the Tiger 11 board and became chair of the finance committee as well as being appointed to treasurer. In his role at Tiger 11, Paul would regularly attend board, finance and committee meetings. In addition to his agreed duties Paul also gave extra time to take part in telephone conferences, attend other meetings and help with the yearly audit.

In 2010 Tiger 11 had to restructure their loan finance and Paul took an active role in preparing for and attending the discussions with Tiger 11's lenders. Paul was enthusiastic and committed about the support he offered, Jeremy Morton commented, "Paul has thrown himself into the work of the organisation and is a valued board member. He has worked with us outside of scheduled meetings to help us with financial reporting and forecasting. Paul's contribution has been excellent. He has a very sharp strategic mind, which he has brought to bear on the organisation and its finances."

As a social enterprise, Tiger 11 needs to generate the bulk of its income from traded services. Paul's input has therefore proved invaluable in bringing a more robust business approach to the organisation. He has given Tiger 11 a clearer direction on financial management which has brought issues into sharper focus.

Jeremy Morton said, "It is quite clear that having an experienced, knowledgeable and engaged Treasurer helped to sway our lenders to restructure their loans".

Tiger 11 have seen that the support has already impacted on their operations, which has enabled them to go forward and deliver their social objectives.

Paul also developed from the experience and commented, "The great part of involvement with Tiger 11 is the ability to make a real and tangible difference to an organisation and also to experience and learn to appreciate the very different focus, challenges and environment of the charitable and not for profit sector."

A range of professionals, from lawyers to IT managers, got involved in sessions that embraced the ‘World of Work' with focused workshops that challenged the children to consider their future careers and how they can work to achieve their dream, while gaining first hand accounts
of working in a variety of roles within a law firm.
All activities were developed to empower young people to consider and develop their future career ambitions, and kickstart the passion to work towards their ideal job.

Alan M. Baker, chairman of Leeds Legal, said: "This year's Education & Enterprise Week has been a great success. We have attracted more law firms and participating volunteers, which in turn allowed us to inspire more children. We were also delighted to welcome George Mudie MP to the event, to demonstrate the positive impact that this initiative has on all parties involved - from the school and children to the volunteers and represented law firms. Every year is different; the nature of the activities allows the children to drive the tasks and the creativity and imagination that they show is always outstanding. Acting as positive role models, the volunteers also gained a lot from the week. It's a great way for law firms to get involved and really give something back to the local community."

Volunteers who took part with the various World of Work days commented;
"The children gained a better understanding of the different jobs out there, what qualifications were needed and most importantly, the skills they need to develop."

One of the teachers commented that the volunteers were providing positive role models for the children and raising awareness for skills needed for work and the options available.

"It is very valuable when business volunteers engage with pupils - it is good for children to have aspirations raised by someone other than school staff. Pupils have new ideas about what work is available to them and they realise the skills we are developing in school are what they will need for work".

The sessions included visiting the offices and sites of the businesses and having group and one to one mentoring about goals, ambitions and future careers.
A group of nine year 8 boys attended the mentoring sessions with volunteers from Connaught and Aire Valley Homes. The sessions included an ice breaker and getting to know each other session with a bit of time assessing the pupils' needs and setting targets.

The boys also spent time at the allotment in school with the mentors. All sessions have been organised and delivered by the mentors.

Direct benefits of mentoring include developing knowledge, increasing confidence and raising aspirations.

In addition to these benefits a business volunteer commented, "The mentoring has allowed the boys to receive support and advice from people who are not their teachers. It is beneficial for the boys to hear first hand experiences and get a realistic opinion about how their attitude and achievement will influence their future careers. It has also given the boys different career paths to think about and some drive and determination to achieve career goals".

One business volunteer said, "I believe that the volunteering has opened the pupils' eyes to what they can achieve by working hard, setting a target and thinking how the target can be reached."

The experience also changed some of the mentors' opinions: "I have become more considerate and this has given me greater awareness of some of the issues that young people have to deal with in their lives. When recruiting new staff this will focus me on giving someone with lesser qualifications an opportunity, should their attitude be right."

All parties involved with the boys aspiration mentoring have agreed that the project has been a great success so far. The mentoring will therefore be continued into year 9 with the aim to keep the pupils engaged as they go through to their options year. This will thereby improve the possibility of them achieving a greater number of GCSE passes and position themselves strongly for further education or work.

 

A range of professionals, from lawyers to IT managers, got involved in sessions that embraced the ‘World of Work' with focused workshops that challenged the children to consider their future careers and how they can work to achieve their dream, while gaining first hand accounts
of working in a variety of roles within a law firm.
All activities were developed to empower young people to consider and develop their future career ambitions, and kickstart the passion to work towards their ideal job.

Alan M. Baker, chairman of Leeds Legal, said: "This year's Education & Enterprise Week has been a great success. We have attracted more law firms and participating volunteers, which in turn allowed us to inspire more children. We were also delighted to welcome George Mudie MP to the event, to demonstrate the positive impact that this initiative has on all parties involved - from the school and children to the volunteers and represented law firms. Every year is different; the nature of the activities allows the children to drive the tasks and the creativity and imagination that they show is always outstanding. Acting as positive role models, the volunteers also gained a lot from the week. It's a great way for law firms to get involved and really give something back to the local community."

Volunteers who took part with the various World of Work days commented;
"The children gained a better understanding of the different jobs out there, what qualifications were needed and most importantly, the skills they need to develop."

One of the teachers commented that the volunteers were providing positive role models for the children and raising awareness for skills needed for work and the options available.

"It is very valuable when business volunteers engage with pupils - it is good for children to have aspirations raised by someone other than school staff. Pupils have new ideas about what work is available to them and they realise the skills we are developing in school are what they will need for work".