talent match newsletter january 2017 · behind the scenes updates content welcome to the of the...

On the Frontline

Preferred Supplier Network Showcase

Theory of Change Event

Meet our Job and In Work Support Coaches

Behind the Scenes Updates

CONTENT

Welcome to the of the Talent Match Black Country Newsletter

We look forward to working with you over the course of 2017!

This edition is packed with exciting events we have been hosting! Not to forget our positive stories and updates

showcasing how great our Mentees are doing!

TALENT MATCH NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2017

On the Frontline – Snapshot updates

Central Hub

Central have been very busy since the last Newsletter!

Some Mentees took part in the Wildside Activity Centre

Programme, where they got up to various outdoor activities like a

long boat trip alongside Canal/Habitat Maintenance.

The hub had lots of social gatherings before the Christmas break

to bring Mentees together and to also celebrate their

achievements.

The Mentees are working in Partnership with Gazebo on TV drama

– Lucid! Learning valuable behind the scenes skills in this

industry. Watch this space!


Walsall Hub

Walsall Hub have been active during the last quarter with

Mentees coming together in a variety of ways improving

confidence, health & wellbeing and also communication skills.

Mentees also packed boxes/presents to give to those in need

during the Christmas break, really getting into the season of

giving.

Lots of Mentees have been getting together to be mindful and

increase health and wellbeing in creative ways!


Dudley Hub

Dudley Mentees have been experiencing a lot together lately!

Aside from celebrating their achievements during 2016 at their

festive meal they have been getting together to try out new

things or go on a variety of trips and activities.

They got the chance to try clay pigeon shooting along with their

Mentors and also went on a visit to West Midlands Safari Park

where they went on the rides together!


Sandwell Hub

Lots of things have been going on at Sandwell!

They got involved in Save the Children Charity work by decorating

jumpers and raising awareness of the cause on the Christmas

Jumper Day!

The Mentees got involved at the Hubs “Beat the Paralympian”

activity where they took part in wheelchair basketball and blind

football.

As well as all this the Hub held a great Partnership Event!


Wolverhampton Hub

Whilst Wolverhampton Hub have been busy with events and

activities they have been really busy with their Spectrum Space!

“Using the creative filming talents of one of our mentees, we

were able to go out into the city of Wolverhampton and speak

about our plans for The Spectrum space. The Spectrum, an idea

developed by our young people from Talent Match, it’s a place

where young people with learning difficulties and Autism can go

to gain specialised support.”

Find out more or get involved by contacting Sharlie on –

[email protected]


Guests upon arrival

Omari Thomas opening speech

On the 1st December we hosted a “Pick Something New” Event at the Hawthorns Football Stadium, West Bromwich. This event was a

chance to showcase our Preferred Supplier Network who offer support and training opportunities to our Mentees.

Pick Something New!


The main emphasis was that Mentees are able to “Pick ‘N’ Mix” their training opportunities and tailor their support package to get them to where they want to be. The key aim was to further aspirations and expose the Mentees on programme to the wide range of Providers available. (To find out more about the support offers from the Providers click the link - psn.bctalentmatch.com/). The event was to be as creative and interactive as possible to really bring to life the support opportunities to engage the Mentees! It was unlike the usual network style events, it was intended to be a fun filled, informative afternoon! Mentees and Mentors got to meet with over 25 Organisations by visiting all the stalls where lots of engaging activities were going on. Alongside this there were 7 workshops running where Mentees could interact further with the Providers and get tasters of what support

and training was being offered.

at and the room stayed upbeat and busy for the three hours the event ran, 1-4pm. The main aim of this event was to further aspirations and expose the Mentees on programme to the wide range of Providers available. Mentees and Mentors got to meet with over 25 Organisations at The Hawthorns Football Stadium by visiting stalls where lots of creative and engaging activities were going on. Alongside this there were 7 workshops running where Mentees could interact further with the Providers and get tasters of what support and training was being offered. The event received excellent feedback from both the Providers and guests. Safe to say the event was a success!

The turnout was great with Mentees checking out all the stands and getting involved with the activities happening on table tops or

within the mini workshops. The room stayed upbeat and busy for the three hours the event ran.

There was a free pick n mix sweet stand, graffiti feedback boards, a DJ, inspirational speaking from a Mentee, festival themed merchandise and prize draws!

The event received excellent feedback from both the Providers and guests.

Safe to say the event was a success!

http://psn.bctalentmatch.com/


Theory of Change

Our second Theory of Change event took place on 1st December 2016 at the prestigious West Bromwich Albion Football Ground. The

focus of this year’s event was to enable Steering Group, Hub colleagues and key stakeholders to reflect on the Talent Match project

achievements of 2016. This was done through facilitated workshops enabling participants to provide feedback, share their

experiences, and those of the young people through a “test and learn” approach. The review considered:

What went well and why?

What did not go well and why?

Learning from delivery so far and local evaluation findings, what has been changed or been done differently? You said we did –

feedback from the event in 2015

How can we improve? And the impact on resources?

Other topics of discussion included, future planning to ensure the longevity of the project and “life after Talent Match”, identifying

how the Black Country will continue to meet the future needs of young people?

The event also included a number of valuable and interactive presentations from key stakeholders including BIG Lottery, Black

Country Consortium, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, Walsall Adult and Community College and Ark People and Communities.

Feedback from the event along with recommendations is included in the projects annual Social Return on Investment evaluation

report 2016.


Ewen from the Wolverhampton Hub –

I have always aspired to work with young people and this stemmed from me participating in a sports coaching programme when I was in secondary

school. From there, my desire to want to make a difference flourished and I worked in a number of different settings (Support worker, teaching,

mentoring and working alongside social care) before working for Talent Match. I wanted to work for Talent Match because I strongly believe in the

Talent Match ethos and what the project is trying to achieve. I think that with the current economic/social status of the country, there is no better

time for the project to be around.

I was first introduced to this particular young lady only a week into the job. Her mentor passed her over to me and described her as-

k that with the current economic/social status of the country, there is no better time for the project to be around.

I was first introduced to this particular young lady only a week into the job. Her mentor passed her over to me and described her as, “Very eager to work but still

suffers from anxiety and will need support”.

After no time at all I started working intensely with her on a weekly basis. Initially it was to build up trust between us and so that she felt comfortable with myself.

In just one week we had built up a good working relationship and were working hard together to find suitable employment. Within the third week we had secured

an interview at a local pub waitressing. The time between her getting the interview and the day of it, we crammed with daily mock interviews, prep talks and

confidence chats. Unfortunately though, she was unsuccessful.

That could have dampened her spirits and squashed her enthusiasm, but we did not let this get in our way. The very next day we were both back in the hub, taking

the positives from the experience and looking for more opportunities. Within another week we had found another opportunity in a hotel doing her dream job, a

chef. After once again working very hard together to secure an interview we determined to get this job of her dreams. We once again worked intensely together on

interview skills, communication skills and overall confidence for the upcoming interview.

It was a glorious day when I received an ecstatic phone call from her saying she had been offered a part time position as a chef. That was also a very proud and

Very eager to work but still suffers from anxiety and will need support.

After no time at all I started working intensely with her on a weekly basis. Initially it was to build up trust between us and so that she felt

comfortable with myself. In just one week we had built up a good working relationship and were working hard together to find suitable

employment. Within the third week we had secured an interview at a local pub waitressing. The time between her getting the interview and the

day of it, we crammed with daily mock interviews, prep talks and confidence chats. Unfortunately though, she was unsuccessful.

That could have dampened her spirits and squashed her enthusiasm, but we did not let this get in our way. The very next day we were both back in

the hub, taking the positives from the experience and looking for more opportunities. Within another week we had found another opportunity in a

hotel doing her dream job, a chef. After once again working very hard together to secure an interview we determined to get this job of her

dreams. We once again worked intensely together on interview skills, communication skills and overall confidence for the upcoming interview.

It was a glorious day when I received an ecstatic phone call from her saying she had been offered a part time position as a chef. That was also a

very proud and rewarding moment for myself. I can (very happily) now say that this young lady is now happily working 3 shifts a weeks as a chef,

studying hospitality at college and has recently been accepted onto a foundation degree starting September.

Meet our Job and In Work Support Coaches


Danya from the Central Hub -

After ten years as a Community Artist and seven years as a College Lecturer, I wanted to continue my career in working with young people but in the

voluntary sector. Talent Match really appealed to me because the whole focus of the project is about young people and what they need to achieve

their potential. It is a project which offers the freedom and flexibility for young people and staff to work in a way that best suits the individual.

Talent Match is about trying new things and doing things differently and this matches perfectly with my style of working.

Lowenna from the Sandwell Hub -

After finishing university I found myself struggling to find a career route that I was passionate about. As I understood how it felt to lack direction, I

felt driven to help other young people who needed guidance.

I continue to pursue my passion for supporting young people and hopefully make a

positive difference in their lives by helping them to achieve their goals.

I have worked with dozens of Talent Match mentees, to guide and support them into the employment and training opportunities that they are

interested in. Sometimes this can be as quick as helping to update a CV and other times it involves working with a mentee who has the enthusiasm

and desire to train or work but isn’t sure exactly what they want to do.

I wanted to be part of a project that helps young people achieve their potential and

overcome that feeling of being “lost”.

During my first week I was introduced to a young lady who was eager to gain an apprenticeship in business administration. After speaking to her

mentor I found that this mentee’s particular barrier was low self-confidence, this being portrayed particularly during interviews. As she is quite a

shy and soft spoken person generally, I could see how this could be misinterpreted by a potential employer.

Over a series of weeks I was able to work with this mentee with the support of her mentor, to complete public speaking activities and set her shorts

tasks to help her realise her potential and have greater confidence in what she had to offer. Alongside this we were also able to look at the

structure of her apprenticeship applications and how to write answers in the best way that highlighted her skills. I am pleased to say that this

mentee was successful in gaining an apprenticeship with the local Council as a Business Administrator! I can’t wait to see how she progresses in this

role and what she will go on to achieve.


Sandy from the Walsall Hub -

I have 25yrs experience of working with young people & older adults, specifically those who are disenfranchised. My background is NHS at a senior

level, in the field of Sexual Health, Mental Health, Community Development and Employment Engagement.

I consider myself to be a confident & outgoing individual who likes to help /support others, which is why I decided to work within the community.

Using my own experiences coupled with my vast knowledge base, I aim to…

“Encourage, Inspire and Strengthen”

…the Talent Match Young People, so they are ready to take the next step, into work!

Watch this space!


How are the Mentee’s getting on?

At the 12 month stage 406 Follow Up’s were completed, 34.9% of which were short questionnaires. Those who completed the long questionnaire

Young People have participated in the following

Central 51

Dudley 60

Sandwell 51

Walsall 46

Wolverhampton 56

Project Wide 264

Work Experience

50.9% 35% 39.2% 56.5% 55.4% 47%

Volunteering

37.2% 36.7% 31.4% 30.4% 46.4% 36.7%

Additional Training

49% 48.3% 54.9% 54.3% 57.1% 52.7%

Applied for Jobs

56.9% 56.7% 60.8% 67.4% 62.5% 60.6%

Had at least one interview

45.1% 45% 47.1% 60.9% 66.1% 52.7%

Completed an Apprenticeship

23.5% 2.2% 1.8% 5.3%

Completed a formal college course

7.8% 10% 9.8% 15.2% 21.4% 12.9%

Completed training

33.3% 25% 19.6% 30.4% 50% 31.8%

Gained employment

37.3%

21.7%

19.6%

30.4%

32.1%

28%

Set up own business

2%

6.7%

3.6% 2.7%

None of these 13.7% 15% 5.9% 4.3% 1.8% 8.3%

Behind the Scenes – Stats update


Check us out –

Twitter: talentmatchbc

Facebook: talentmatchbc

Instagram: talentmatchbc

YouTube: talentmatchbc

www.bctalentmatch.com

Social Return on Investment Annual report

Our second Social Return on Investment annual report in partnership with Ark, captures insights and observations, in relation to the

programme 24 months on. Highlighting the continued positive impact we are having on young people’s lives. Please click the link to

view the annual report and find out more about our progress!

www.bctalentmatch.com/social-return-on-investment-annual-report

http://www.bctalentmatch.com/social-return-on-investment-annual-report

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