Help shape Nottingham's future workforce
Are you looking to engage with young talent, bring fresh perspectives into your organisation and make a positive impact in your community?
Through the Young People's Jobs Fund (YPJF), Nottingham City Council is inviting employers to take part in the Business Challenge Work Taster Programme, an innovative initiative supporting Nottingham residents aged 18-24 who are currently economically inactive.
Delivered in partnership with Futures and Second Chance Learning Academy, the programme gives young people the opportunity to develop confidence, employability skills and workplace experience by working on real business challenges provided by local employers..
What are Business Challenge work tasters?
We are looking for employers willing to provide a genuine challenge that would benefit from fresh thinking and new ideas.
For example, the challenge could focus on:
Attracting new customers or audiences
Improving customer experience
Creating social media or marketing campaigns
Addressing sustainability challenges
Developing ideas for new products or services
Gathering insights from young people about your business or services
Participating employers will be asked to:
Attend a short introductory session to explain the challenge, at the start of the week
Attend the final presentation session and provide feedback on the participants' ideas at the end of the week
There are also opportunities to become more involved throughout the week, such as hosting a site visit, taking part in a Q&A session or providing informal feedback during the challenge.
Business Challenge projects take place throughout the year, with flexible delivery dates to fit around your organisation's commitments and availability.
How does it work?
Over a structured five-day programme, a group of up to 10-12 young people will work together to tackle a genuine challenge faced by your organisation.
Participants will:
Develop teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills
Build confidence and understanding of the workplace
Learn about different industries and career pathways
Work directly with employers
Gain experience responding to a real business brief
At the end of the week, participants will present their ideas, recommendations and solutions back to your organisation.
What are the benefits?
To recognise the time and commitment involved, participating businesses will each receive a £500 grant from Nottingham City Council.
Setting a Business Challenge for young people to work on also offers a range of other benefits to your organisation:
Gain fresh ideas and perspectives from young people
Raise awareness of your business and industry
Demonstrate your commitment to social value and community impact
Contribute to developing Nottingham's future workforce
Support young people facing barriers to employment
Help young people to develop skills, confidence and career aspirations
Get in Touch
If your organisation would like to support local young people while benefiting from innovative ideas and fresh perspectives, we'd love to hear from you.
Get in touch with the Good Employment Hub team to find out more and register your interest.
Or download our leaflet for more information about Business Challenge.