Kent charity, CXK, will next week relaunch its Prince’s Trust Programme in Dartford; a scheme designed to help unemployed and vulnerable young people in the local area to gain skills and find work, apprenticeships or return to education.
Since the charity began delivering the scheme in 2011, 1,200 young people across Kent have benefitted from the programme, donating 30,000 volunteering hours to local charities and causes.
The programme returns to Dartford on 15th January and is open to anyone in and around the area aged 16-25 and not in education, employment or training (NEET). Participants benefit from a 12 week personal development programme designed to help improve their confidence, motivation and work-related skills, and optimise their chances of entering sustainable employment.
The programme begins with team-building activities, which will involve the team members spending a week at a residential activity centre. The young people will go on to donate 2 weeks of their time to designing and executing social action projects that will benefit their local community. Later in the programme, they will benefit from 2 weeks’ work experience in something they are interested in, develop their Maths and English skills, and develop their interview and CV writing skills to ensure that their confidence is sky-high when taking their next steps.
Having successfully completed the programme, the participating young people gained a nationally recognised qualification in Employability, Teamwork and Community Skills.
Brendan Hammond, Programme Manager at CXK, says: “CXK is incredibly proud to deliver the Prince’s Trust Team Programme across Kent. The programme addresses the real needs of NEET young people in our community. It challenges perspectives, builds confidence and develops vital skills that help the participants get ready for work; and in doing so helps to change society for the better.
“Through the programme, we can help Dartford’s NEET young people move on to achieve really positive outcomes from the support of CXK’s very experienced and passionate staff, and we look forward to their success.”
CXK is still recruiting for the programme. If you or anyone you know is aged 16-25, who is not in education, employment or training, who lives in or can commute to the Dartford area, you can apply or find out more by emailing princestrustinfo@cxk.org, telephoning 01233 224244, or by visiting princes-trust.org.uk.
CXK delivers the Prince’s Trust programme in Ashford, Thanet, Maidstone, Dartford, Sittingbourne and Folkestone. For further information, visit cxk.org/young-people/training/princes-trust-team-programme.