MyMiltonKeynes spearheads education for life with Action4Youth

Young people in Milton Keynes are being inspired and equipped for their working futures thanks to MyMiltonKeynes and charity Action4Youth’s partnership.

The Inspiration Programme was developed by Action4Youth working with educators, entrepreneurs and business people from multiple sectors. Run in schools, the course enables students to develop essential life skills, including teamworking and self-development, as well as giving insights into careers they might never encounter otherwise. MyMiltonKeynes is supporting students at Bridge Academy and Shenley Brook End School to benefit from the year-long programme.

Nicholas Mann, Chair of Milton Keynes Business Leaders is keen for more organisations to follow the lead of sponsors like MyMiltonKeynes to support young people access this key programme: “It goes a long way to helping them prepare to develop their abilities to work in a team, to communicate with other, all of the skills that business people are looking for from their future workforce.”

Lifelong educationalist and businesswoman Dame Ann Limb believes The Inspiration Programme provides education that is vital: “The world for young people is difficult to navigate and the experience you get as a young person building your confidence, building your self-esteem from an inspiration programme, having to take on roles that you wouldn’t otherwise get through the work that you do at school is really, really critical to prepare young people for the world of work, and for life today.”

The course also enables schools to meet required Gatsby Benchmarks in providing career guidance. Sessions can be delivered by Action4Youth qualified teams in school or the charity can train school staff to run the programme supported by materials on a unique app the development of which was funded by another Buckinghamshire business, Stoke Park.

Headteachers such as Simon Jones of The Cottesloe School in Wing, says the Programme delivers where schools struggle: “What the Inspiration Programme does is it brings a variety of people into school who are experts in their field, and that provides a real richness to the curriculum which we simply cannot produce.”

Jenifer Cameron, CEO of Action4Youth said: “We know from talking to young people and to headteachers just how important high-quality informative life experiences can be. The Inspiration Programme is an eye-opener and an inspiring opportunity for young people, enabling schools to continue supporting their students’ future in these tough economic times.”

Inspired to follow the lead of MyMilton Keynes and enable more schools to offer the course to their students? Contact Bonnie.Clayton@Action4Youth.org