Young Jobs programme
The Islington Giving Jobs Placement Programme joins up community partners and businesses to connect local residents to provide pathways to long-term employment.
“Being paired with a company and role that suited my interests has had a massive positive impact on my life.” – Mehmet
The Islington Giving Jobs Placement Programme joins up community partners and businesses to connect local residents to provide pathways to long-term employment.
Through 200-hour work placements paid at the London Living Wage, the programme offers young people and residents furthest from the labour market a chance to gain meaningful professional experience. Providing stable, paid roles beyond the usual work experience opportunities, over the last five-years the model has achieved tangible and lasting benefits for those involved.
The programme has been running since 2021, funded by Islington Giving coalition partner, Macquarie. To date, 86 residents have benefited from work placements through 34 local employers. Community based organisations act as delivery partners to broker placements and support participants throughout.
A high proportion of people completing a placement go on to secure longer term employment. Every partner organisation has succeeded in supporting beneficiaries into skilled sustainable employment in some form, with up to 100% progression rates achieved by some delivery partners. Multiple employers have provided mentoring and progression routes including converting placements into permanent roles and funding extended internships.
Case story: Mehmet
Beginning his school life with strong academic prospects, the Covid-19 Pandemic took a big toll on Mehmet. He fell behind and struggled to study for his GCSEs. After school, his mental health deteriorated and e was unemployed for a number of years, having lost his confidence.
Through a structured placement in customer care at PROception through Derwent London, he began to rebuild his drive in a professional environment tailored to his needs. His performance was described as outstanding, leading the employer to extend his internship with the intention of offering a permanent role.
“Being paired with a company and role that suited my interests has had a massive positive impact on my life.” – Mehmet, Young Jobs programme participant
The most significant indicator of his transformation was his personal growth. As a marker of this, Mehmet presented his success story to a room of business leaders at the Mayor of Islington’s Business Breakfast in 2025.
The Impact for Participants
The programme demonstrates that paid, supported work placements are highly effective for those furthest from the labour market. Prioritising skill development and progression over time, and ensuring roles provide real-world experience in sectors including IT, creative industries, hospitality, and marketing has resulted in:
- New professional skills: Participants gain technical, creative and vocational skills and build experience in specific sectors
- Personal growth and increased aspirations: Participants have overcome anxieties about the workplace, gained confidence and self belief, and have greater clarity on career aspirations
- High progression rates: Placements lead to sustained employment, with some delivery partners achieving up to 100% progression rates into skilled roles.
“I was scared and I told myself I couldn’t work in a place like that. Encouragement from Cook for Good helped me so much and believe in myself that I just needed to start.”
Programme Participant
The Value of Partnership
Through partnership working, the programme creates benefits for all stakeholders. We have learnt that flexibility is essential to achieve inclusive outcomes for all parties.
- For local people, the programme provides a bridge between training and real-world experience, helping residents navigate the benefits system and overcome personal fears about the workplace
- For businesses, it creates a low-risk, structured route to offering placements to people who they may not have had the confidence or capacity to employ before, thanks to ongoing support from community partners. Many business partners, such as Open Creates and Paragon, have successfully converted placements into permanent roles, thereby securing fresh local talent for their own operations
- For community partners, the programme has expanded existing programmes, integrating placements into training pathways, enabling students to quickly apply their learning in practical real-word settings and building progression routes
If you are a local employer who is interested in taking on a placement, or would like more information about the programme, please get in touch with Isobel.Miller@islingtongiving.org.uk.