The Prince of Wales recently welcomed a host of celebrities and young people to St James’s Palace to celebrate an innovative scheme to tackle youth unemployment.
will.i.am, magician Dynamo and TV presenter Carol Vorderman were among The Prince's Trust Ambassadors at the reception to celebrate the charity’s Job Ambassadors initiative.
Last year, HRH The Prince of Wales launched the Job Ambassadors scheme in response to high youth unemployment. They have now employed 100 young people to act as Job Ambassadors in their local communities and support 100,000 other jobless youngsters.
Prince’s Trust Job Ambassadors have all faced long-term unemployment and transformed their lives with help from The Trust. They now support other young people in their local area, helping them to improve their employability skills and access local jobs.
Musician and philanthropist will.i.am said: “Having grown up in an economically disadvantaged area, I know how important it is for young people to have role models, people they can look up to, and also seek out for advice.”
“The job ambassadors here today are doing an amazing job of inspiring young people in their communities, and providing support and encouragement that will help them to succeed in life.”
Dynamo, who set up as a magician with help from The Prince’s Trust, said: "I know what it’s like to be unemployed and feel hopeless about the future. But I was determined to succeed and with help from The Trust I’ve achieved things I never thought possible.
“It’s great that there are now 100 Prince’s Trust Job Ambassadors helping young people across the country to do the same.”
Bloomberg is the founding supporter of the Job Ambassadors scheme and has pledged to support the initiative for its first three years.
Jemma Read, Bloomberg, said: "At a time when so many young people are struggling to find work, we felt it was important to support an innovative scheme that gives young people the capacity to help themselves. The best partnerships are always those that address a pressing social and business challenge by bringing together the unique skills and resources of the people and organisations involved.
“For this reason we are incredibly proud to have helped The Trust recruit its first 100 Job Ambassadors, improving the chances of thousands of young people across the UK.”
Other funders including The Queen’s Silver Jubilee Trust have now joined forces with Bloomberg to support the scheme. Nicola Brentnall, The Queen’s Silver Jubilee Trust adds: "The Job Ambassadors programme has at its heart the power of young people helping others.
“This is the purpose of our work and it is something The Prince’s Trust understands and enables brilliantly through this and all its programmes.”
The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. They support 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Three in four young people supported by The Trust move into work, education or training.
Last year, will.i.am donated £500,000 to The Prince’s Trust through his i.am.angel foundation to help the UK’s most disadvantaged young people engage with STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects and learn computer skills.
Source: Prince's Trust
