Young people search for jobs almost as much as they search for bargains in supermarkets. Job-hunting can be an extremely disheartening process, and can last months if not years.
Those elusive jobs will likely go to those who got the best grades in school, or went to university. But what if you were one of many young adults who do not get the grades? What if school was simply not for you?
Since November, Liz Izzet and Rachael Box, have been working with getting unemployed young adults and youngsters embroiled in Islington’s gangs into work by using the knowledge of professionals to inspire them.
Their new charity, London Village Network, offers the young adults valuable networking opportunities and inspires them to become their own boss.
Rachael, who lives locally, says: “There are a lot of kids that don’t feel part of the greatness of Islington and that’s where we want to try to bridge the gap. We want to provide a platform where the young people can have a voice, so they can explore their needs in the community.”
The two friends set up London Village Network to improve the social environment for young people in the area.
“They shouldn’t feel restricted to thinking that they have to have parents with knowledge, parents who are connected, and parents with money. If they’ve got that drive, they can get do anything,” Rachael says.
With the increase in gang-related deaths in the area, the pair are reaching out to people who are involved in crime.
Liz says: “Adults of today are not setting good examples. You have illegal wars, bankers stealing, MPs lying and we’re wondering why the young adults are hurting each other.
“Are you really wondering why this is happening? Look at the examples we’re giving them. This has to change. We have to show young adults that there are better examples.”
The problem, Rachael says, is within the schooling system because of the large ratio of one teacher to 20 or 30 children. “Some invariably get side-lined which causes them to become disengaged. But it doesn’t mean those kids are not competent and won’t be successful in the business world.”
“We want to try and break down those barriers by helping them build their own business ideas rather than engaging in things like knife crime or gang warfare.”
“At the end of the day, everyone just needs someone to believe in them. If you’ve got that, you’ve got so much more.”
According to the charity owners, more should be done to encourage young people in the right direction. “London should be creating leaders of the world. If we’ve got children who are going through the schooling system and at the end of it don’t feel part of the community, that’s a very sad truth and not something that should be coming out of London and the UK.”
The charity is looking for highly skilled workers who are willing to pledge their time, rather than money, to come and talk to young people about their careers. “Our pledge is that we want to get the whole of London together, eight million adults, to offer their time. Three hours a year, to help inspire the youth.”
This week the charity successfully hosted its first ‘Be Your Own Boss event’ at the Underground Youth Centre in the Ring Cross Estate, where young people had the chance to network and develop their business ideas with a number of professionals.
Overwhelming support came from professionals including Peter Stirratt from Apptitude Media, Claire Jones from Sony PR, Simon Miller from O2 and Baker McKenzie from Credit Union, among many others.
Dyonne Josiah, 28, Highbury
Dyonne Josiah hopes that London Village Network will help her promote her book, How Do You Get a Baby.
“I’ve always been able to create. I started writing when I was nine and doing poetry when I was 16. But then one day, I just stopped. I felt like everything poetic inside of me had come out and even when I tried to, it didn’t feel natural. I then went onto writing children stories. I think I fell into it unconsciously because I’ve always loved children.
“Because I’m dyslexic, my way of escaping is through reading stories and writing and also through acting. When I was in school, I originally wanted to be a child psychologist and an actor but my teacher said to me I wasn’t smart enough.
“Instead of him encouraging me, he put me down. It really disheartened me because I was really looking forward to doing child psychology. I don’t regret it because I love acting but I wish I were given the opportunity to make that decision and learn for myself.
“Even with my dyslexia, I didn’t find out until I was 16, which is quite old. The teacher really should have noticed it. I had to ask him to test me. They just didn’t pick up on what I was telling them. I’m not angry because that gave me the motivation to find out more about the condition I have. It pushed me to speak to other people and better myself.”
Sylvestre Espana, 23, Holloway.
Sylvestre Espana is hoping that London Village Network will help him launch his t-shirt business.
“I didn’t like university, and paying £3000 a year was just ridiculous. I got a loan but even that was hard. You go to class, where there is one teacher to about 200 hundred students, and you don’t get any attention.
“The teachers just read off the board or the Internet, something which you could just go and do at home yourself.”
“Schools don’t tell us about the opportunities that are really out there. They teach us what they want to teach and if you don’t listen, you’re the wrong kid. I think they messed up my brain a little with all the negativity.
“I got told off many times for disrupting the class, but at end of the day I left with all my GCSEs. More than all my friends. Yet why am I stuck now when they were the ones who didn’t have any GCSEs and now they’re doing better than I am?”
Lovely initiative, hope it continues.