Social media credited with helping Brighton and Hove’s jobless youngsters
Twitter and Facebook are being used increasingly to keep track of teenagers in Brighton and Hove and help them find a job or a course.
The use of social media has been credited with enabling Brighton and Hove City Council’s Youth Employability Service (YES) to stay in touch with many more youngsters.
At the same time the number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in employment, education or training – known as NEETs in official jargon – has fallen.
The council said that its use of technology and social media was cheap and effective.
Now it’s being used as a case study by the Local Government Association (LGA), a national organisation for councils.
It is one of two case studies included in the LGA pamphlet Tracking young people – a ‘how to’ guide for councils.
The council said: “Work by (the) YES has seen the numbers of 16 to 18-year-olds whose situation is not known fall from 12.8 per cent in 2011-12 to 4.8 per cent in 2012-13.
Councillor Jason Kitcat
“This has fallen further to 3.9 per cent for the first quarter of 2013-14.
“(The) YES has helped 463 young people in the last year with the numbers of those not in education, employment or training falling from 7.8 per cent in 2011 to 6.6 per cent last year.”
The LGA said: “Effective tracking of young people matters because it is linked to councils’ ability to improve outcomes for young people.”
“Tracking is a key part of councils’ ability to improve outcomes for young people because councils need to know which young people have disengaged from the education and training system in order to offer them support to help them re-engage.”
The YES Facebook page has more than “likes” while on Twitter the organisation has almost 700 followers.
YES advisers also have their own individual Facebook page which they use to keep in contact with teenagers.
The council said that the options offered to youngsters included apprenticeships partly as a result of its work with the new Apprenticeship Training Agency and the Skills Shop in Brighton.
Jay Parsons, 17, said: “Going to the Whitehawk YES drop-in has really, really boosted my confidence and skills in communicating and CV writing.”
Marc Gorry, 18, said: “They helped me find a volunteering opportunity which has now led to a full-time apprenticeship.
“The advisers helped to build my confidence. They are very helpful and the drop-in is a friendly place.
“Without the Brighton and Hove Youth Employability Service (YES) I would be sitting at home doing nothing with no help or support from anybody for careers advice.
“But because of them I have found the right apprenticeship for me.”
Council leader Jason Kitcat said: “During such tough economic times it’s vital that we do everything we can to help our young residents into education, employment or training.
“Making use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch with 16 to 18-year-olds means that we can alert them to the right opportunities to progress their careers at the right times.
“This is cheap and simple digital technology making a real impact in people’s lives.
“The low numbers of young residents not in employment, education or training just shows how effective the work of our Youth Employability Services is.
“And that’s great news for the young people themselves, their families and the city.”
