Major concerns have been raised over the future funding of projects in Herefordshire which support young people not in education or employment.
The IN2 Training programme has helped hundreds of young people from across the county, aged 15-24, who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET to build confidence and develop new skills to enable them to either stay in or return to education, move into work or embark on specific training.
It has been run since 2019 by supported employment and training charity, Landau, in partnership with several Herefordshire businesses and charitable organisations with funding from the European Social Fund (ESF).
However, as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, this funding will come to an end in March 2023 and although the government has said it plans to create a new pot of money known as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), it is not yet clear whether any money will be made available to enable the projects to continue.
Phil Taylor, chief operating officer for Landau, which has its headquarters in Shropshire but delivers numerous projects across Herefordshire and beyond, said the situation was hugely concerning.
“There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment about what available funding there might be to continue this programme and the fantastic work it enables partners to deliver to support young people in the area.
“Without it, so many would continue to face barriers to learning, education and employment and fall between the cracks.
“And it’s not just this project which is at risk. The Community Grants scheme which has also been funded through the ESF has meant we have been able to distribute grants amounting to almost £1.5million to organisations in the area so that they can support people over the age of 18 in a similar way to build skills, confidence and gain sustainable employment.
“The people benefitting from this support are the ones who need it most. They are vulnerable, often face multiple barriers to learning and are furthest from the job market.
“The grant funding has enabled so many organisations to develop specific projects to reach these people and in so many cases they have helped to turn people’s lives around.
“We are currently in discussion with local authorities, who will have control of the new UKSPF funding, to try to ensure the future of these programmes but no decisions have yet been made.
“It’s critical however, from our perspective, that young people and unemployed people continue to get the help they need and that there are no gaps in service delivery.”
During the last three years, IN2 has supported nearly 380 young people in Herefordshire who are at risk of NEET or who are NEET, funding delivery to more than 10 Herefordshire organisations supporting programmes to re-engage young people with education.
The Community Grant scheme has funded 31 individual projects and supported 334 individuals.
A celebratory event was held by Landau recently at the Green Dragon Hotel to showcase the success of the two schemes.
Participants involved in the programmes also attended to share their stories.
Ross Cook, the corporate director of economy and environment for Herefordshire Council, said both the IN2 Training and Community Grants programmes had delivered real outcomes for people in the community and where possible efforts would be made to seek more funding from the government.
Frank Myers MBE, representing Hereford Community Foundation at the event, added: “The whole experience has highlighted how important the ESF funding was and how important it is to replace it otherwise a lot of disadvantaged people will be left behind.”
For more information about the services and programmes delivered by Landau visit https://www.landau.co.uk/.