Norfolk & Suffolk Careers Hub
About the project
We’ve delivered a highly successful schools programme in partnership with The Careers and Enterprise Company since 2016. Originally delivering our programme to schools in two Local Enterprise Partnerships, Birmingham and London, the programme developed into a national programme reaching 25 out of 38 LEPs, partnering with over 15 Careers Hubs in the process. This is in addition to the SEN schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), Alternative Provisions (APs) and Virtual Schools we’ve worked in, and had learners referred from, too.
In 2024 we’ve been supported by Norfolk & Suffolk Careers Hub to complete two local one week community workshops, both benefitting local community spaces whilst enabling local students to have their first taste of the construction industry – and/or the VIY experience before a larger community project.
At John Grant School, a SEN school in Caister, over 15 of their own students took ownership and co-designed this project to improve their own environment internally and externally, by redecorating one of their breakout spaces and constructing planters for their external space. A project also supported by our programme across Great Yarmouth through the Know Your Neighbourhood fund.
We were also able to create additional outdoor furniture and a dry store for tools and equipment at Marlpit Community Centre in Norwich, where we’ve delivered previous improvement projects through this Norwich City Council fund.
Impact of these projects:
- 28 young volunteers gained hands-on construction skills
- Many gained an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation in Carpentry or Painting & Decorating during these week long projects
- John Grant School told us: “Our students benefitted from working with unfamiliar people they didn’t know, both VIY staff and other students from in school. Those students who have never done any work experience / volunteering before really got stuck in.“
- Marlpit Community Centre benefitted greatly from additional works completed through this VIY workshop: “The work carried out by VIY, is fabulous. We are delighted that we now have a store in our wildlife garden which will enable us to keep all the tools and equipment needed in a safe dry place. The garden bench is lovely and will give our users a nice shaded place to sit and enjoy the wildlife. The two tables are fabulous as they can be moved and used in all outside areas at the centre, and really set the whole outside off as a usable space.”
- Ed Sellwood, COO & Co-Founder of VIY, shares the value of short & sharp experiences for young people, having overseen many VIY workshops like this one: “It’s about that first taste of construction, an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation that acts as the first step on the construction career ladder, all for young learners who may not otherwise have access to this kind of training, or for whom a more practical way of learning is better for their development.”
