Cumbria Community Foundation Leads Initiative to Improve Youth Opportunities in Furness
Cumbria Community Foundation is taking action to address the low exam performance and limited job opportunities for young people in the Furness region. According to the Foundation’s research, one-in-four of Furness’ working-age population have no qualifications and one-in-10 young people are unemployed.
To combat these issues, Cumbria Community Foundation is commissioning a report to identify barriers to participation in extracurricular and enrichment activities, which have been shown to motivate and inspire young people. The report will also make recommendations to influence decision makers in national and local government, as well as potential donors, businesses, and third-sector organizations.
The project has received funding from Cumbria Community Foundation, BAE Systems, and Cumbria Chamber of Commerce. David Beeby, Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation, explains the importance of extracurricular activities in improving academic success and job prospects for young people. He states, “What we’re talking about here is informal learning, doing something outside the classroom or in addition to the main lesson that enriches and inspires learning, allowing students to explore their interests.”
The Foundation is seeking experts to assess current approaches, consult stakeholders, explore best practices, and provide recommendations for a more effective and impactful delivery of extracurricular activities in Low and High Furness. The budget for the report is £35,000, including VAT, and it is expected to be launched by the end of June.
Janet Garner, Future Workforce Director at BAE Systems, expresses support for the research project and its goal of understanding how to make collective efforts more effective in supporting the needs and aspirations of young people and the local economy.
This initiative follows a 2021 report by the Foundation, Furness Opportunities and Challenges, which highlighted the problems faced by the Furness region. As a result of this report, a Skills Summit was held involving education providers, employment support agencies, businesses, and the third sector. The summit identified the need for a better approach to extracurricular provision.
Interested parties can view the details of the brief at https://www.cumbriafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/FES-invitation-to-tender-15.02.24.pdf and submissions must be received by 10am on Monday, March 18. For more information, please visit https://www.cumbriafoundation.org/ or contact the Foundation directly.
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