JD Sports launches online work experience for young people in BBC Children in Need partnership

JD Sports has launched a new package of career support for young people, including online work experience, employability workshops and job interviews where vacancies allow, as part of its 1 million pound partnership with BBC Children in Need.

The partnership aims to tackle youth unemployment by strengthening youth services across the UK, and will support up to 10,000 young people by funding 50 youth projects and around 90 youth workers.

The new support package includes a virtual work experience programme covering retail, merchandising, buying, supply chain, marketing and digital, as well as CV and interview workshops. Young people can also attend ‘Meet the Team’ sessions with JD employees, and those who complete any of the employability activities will be offered support to explore careers at JD, including job interviews where suitable vacancies are available.

The initiative comes amid concerns over youth unemployment and declining youth services. According to the release, 1,200 youth clubs have closed since 2010, while the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) reached 981,000 in June this year.

Paul Orange, people managing director of JD EMEA, said: “Too many young people face barriers when taking their first steps into work, whether that’s a lack of experience, confidence or access to opportunities. As a major employer of young people, we believe we have an important role to play in helping to change that.

“Our partnership with BBC Children in Need is part of a much broader commitment to tackling youth unemployment. By combining support for youth services with practical experience, skills development and greater exposure to the world of work, we want to help more young people see a pathway into work and take that next step towards a career.”

Claire Hoyle, chief executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “We are incredibly proud to be partnering with JD Sports to support youth projects and youth workers in communities across the UK. Giving young people somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to sits at the heart of everything we do, and this partnership will help make that a reality for thousands more young people.

“Young people are facing increasing challenges and we know how vital it is that they have access to trusted adults, safe spaces and opportunities for the future. By investing in both youth work and pathways into employment, we can help young people build brighter futures.”

Campaign with DC3 and Andrea Arnold

The announcement is part of a wider campaign highlighting the role of youth clubs and youth workers. Research commissioned by the two organisations found that 80 percent of young people believe their peers would have nowhere else to go if their local youth club closed, while 72 percent said youth workers can talk to them about problems in ways other adults cannot. The survey, conducted by Censuswide, polled 2,000 children aged 11 to 16 in the UK.

JD and BBC Children in Need have also launched The Youth Club Dictionary, with contributions from Oxford University Press, featuring alternative definitions of words and phrases used in youth clubs.

The campaign is backed by MOBO-winning rapper and former youth club member DC3, who has released a music video, ‘My Home’, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold. The video was filmed in a youth club and inspired by language from the dictionary.

This article was written with the assistance of AI.