Pilot Scheme for Youngsters is Proving a Success

An exciting new pilot scheme for young people that was founded in September 2023 is flourishing and is already attracting the attention of participants and local employers.

The Powerhouse Pathway was set up as a partnership between local charity SOFEA, The Didcot Powerhouse Fund and local Didcot employers. Its remit was to help satisfy a labour shortage for entry level roles for age 16+ students in jobs such as catering, office administration, warehousing, and cleaning.

SOFEA works closely with local employers to identify a young person matching their role requirements and the individual is recruited with the offer of a paid part-time one-year fixed contract for three days a week.  In addition, they also work two days a week with SOFEA where they are provided with a bespoke learning programme encompassing employability skills and GCSE retakes, should these be required.  The young person is full supported by SOFEA throughout their contract, which in turn aids the employer as any issues can be quickly resolved through collaboration. The intention is that Pathway should offer young people progression, so at the end of the initial contract, the employer may offer the employee a permanent contract or an apprenticeship opening.

Nando’s in Didcot was one of the first employers to opt into the pilot scheme and Ria Poliquin-Floyd, Pre-apprenticeship Programme Manager at SOFEA, said “Nando’s has been such a fantastic partner for our Powerhouse Pathways programme. From their central employability team to the individual restaurant managers and staff, everyone is fully invested in working with us and giving our disadvantaged young people the opportunity to develop their employability skills and, more crucially, build their confidence.”

Joe Black, a pre-apprentice at Nando’s in the Powerhouse Pathways programme said “Working for Nando’s is so much fun and my team is so supportive – we all look out for each other. One of the best bits of my job is that you get a free meal with every shift you work and after five years, we all get a sabbatical – can’t wait for that!  I’m enjoying learning new things and progressing into new roles at Nando’s. I wouldn’t be doing any of this without SOFEA and Pathways – I’m so grateful for everything that they do.”

Secondary schools in Didcot have welcomed the new Powerhouse Pathway as an exciting new route into employment for some of their students. By working together in partnership and helping young people gain meaningful employment locally it is not just a case of being great for their career prospects but is also of economic benefit to the local area and wider region.

Elizabeth Paris, Chair of The Didcot Powerhouse Fund said “The aspiration for the Didcot Powerhouse Fund is to create more links between business and the community than just funding. Powerhouse Pathways is just such an example, and directly responds to  concerns raised by local employers about the difficulty of recruiting locally for entry level roles”

Details about the scheme can be found at The Didcot Powerhouse Fund website www.didcotpowerhousefund.co.uk . If you are interested in finding out how you can participate in Powerhouse Pathways click here