Challenge
In June 2024, 2engage worked to address the pressing needs of care experienced young people from Bluestones Medical Complex Care through a series of workshops focusing on life skills and work readiness.
Aims
Recognising the significant challenges faced by care-experienced young people, 2engage aimed to equip these young individuals with the essential skills and support necessary for a successful transition into adulthood.
The Workshops
2engage delivered three two-hour workshops at Bluestones Medical Complex Care:
Introductions and Icebreakers
This workshop set the foundation for building confidence and connections among participants. The icebreakers and confidence-building activities enabled the young people to feel comfortable and encouraged open participation.
Life Skills and Work Readiness
This workshop focused on pushing the young people beyond their comfort zones by exploring employability skills, work readiness, interview techniques, and self-esteem. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, the young people were able to share their experiences, develop new competencies, and gain insights into what employers are looking for in potential candidates.
Personal Resilience
The final workshop focused on enhancing personal resilience and making informed life decisions. Using case studies, the young people explored interventions for overcoming challenges such as drug and alcohol misuse, and exploitation, and learned the importance of seeking support. Additionally, the young people watched our Risking It All production, which reinforced these key themes.
Outcome
The positive feedback from both the participants and staff at Bluestones Medical Complex Care highlights the success of the workshops. 2engage provided a safe and engaging environment for the young people to explore their potential, understand employer expectations, and develop personal resilience.
Young People Feedback
“The workshop helped me grow confidence and communication skills. I was able to just be myself and enjoyed the time I had. Please don’t end the sessions, I love coming and being there.”
“I’ve really enjoyed the workshops and don’t want them to stop. They were very interesting. I learnt a lot about employment and what employers might be looking for and my skill set.”
Staff Feedback
“I personally loved it, and I found the two guys presenting it were very friendly and engaging. It was lovely to see all the kids get involved and the topics discussed were interesting.”
“All we can say is wow how powerful these workshops have been. It was great watching and hearing all the young people’s views, the way they interacted with each other sharing stories and most importantly listening to what each other were saying. The storytelling on the last session really did hit home with the young people and with us support workers.”
