Working Rite has set up nine projects in England and Scotland over
the past 6 years and engaged more than 600 young people, 75% of
whom secured an apprenticeship or job at the end of the work
placement. Working Rite facilitates a rite of passage for young
people into the world of work and adulthood - and believe that
practical learning plays a key role in this.
Working Rite's success has been highlighted in the
Guardian, the Independent, and Social Enterprise magazine. "All we
are doing is reinventing an old idea," says Sandy Campbell, Working
Rite founder in the Guardian. "This is how apprenticeships used to
be.
There was a system in this country where manual work
was much more common, and youngsters of that age, particularly
boys, left school to work when they got an apprenticeship. They
would learn other things about life, rather than just work. Its
quite amazing how far it goes."
Working Rite not only builds employability skills in
young people, but also facilitates close relationships between
employees and young people. Through learning by doing, Working Rite
participants get hands-on training outside the classroom and a
chance to prove themselves as responsible adults.
The scheme was highlighted in October 2009 by the
Tory shadow minister for welfare reform, David Freud, advocating
the growth of work experience models that match up 100,000
teenagers with small businesses or tradespeople.
The Learning Launchpad fund, a partnership between
the Young Foundation and Edge developed to find, support and
accelerate the growth of new initiatives that provide practical
learning opportunities, has been working with Working Rite since
2009.
For more information about the subject of this case
study - contact Jack Graham at
the Learning Launchpad or visit the Learning
Launchpad website