Self-help educational projects for unemployed young people aged 20-25 aim to increase employability skills so that participants get off ‘Benefits’ and find worthwhile jobs. The success rate is very high; more than 1,000 have completed the project with a steady 90% finding jobs or re-training shortly afterwards.
A taught course including job interviews and CV skills is followed by fieldwork in an ecologically interesting location. This work is intensive, requiring discipline and hard work. Timekeeping and a helpful attitude are introduced so that trainees gain new skills. The benefits are borne out by the outstanding results that continue to be achieved in making young people much more ready for a working life.