New scheme to keep kids in school kicks off at Argyle
A new scheme to support young people in Plymouth to stay in school and achieve better results using one-to-one mentors launched last week at Plymouth Argyle.
The first group of 12 young people aged 13 to 14 involved in the Skills Aid Plymouth (SAP) scheme met with their new mentors over some team building and a few footie skills to mark the beginning of their year of mentoring.
SAP is a joint project between Plymouth City Council and Plymouth’s Rotary Clubs, who have provided the majority of the volunteer mentors working on the scheme. It is designed to help pupils understand and gain important employability skills which will improve future chances in an increasingly competitive jobs market and broaden their career options.
Young people likely to benefit most from the scheme have had their names put forward to the Council by their school. Initially the scheme involves three city-schools including All Saints Church of England Academy Plymouth, Marine Academy Plymouth and Sir John Hunt.
The young people involved have been assigned a personal mentor for one year, who will not only help them with practical tasks like coursework linked to employability curriculum but will also accompany them on field trips and visits to local businesses. The first group of mentors, who have been recruited on a voluntary basis from across the city, completed their training earlier this year.
Councillor Nicky Williams, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, says: “This is an incredibly worthwhile scheme that aims to target young people in need of a little extra guidance and support to ensure they stay on the right track and achieve in life. It’s a real cooperative venture involving key partners - the three schools involved, Plymouth’s Rotary Clubs and twelve local thriving businesses who will each host inspiring visits and experiences for the young people involved.”
The creation of the SAP scheme is one of the Council’s 100 pledges announced in May 2012 and sits within the ‘Young Plymouth’. The Council’s other pledges are themed around the economy and jobs, tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, the environment, transport, housing, culture and sport, improving the image and vision for the city, caring for residents whatever their age and being an open and transparent council.
The promises all support the development of a co-operative way of delivering local services which aims to put power back in the hands of local residents and boost the city’s economy.
