Youth Voice Ambassadors Lead Employment Drive for LD & ASC Youth in East Midlands
A groundbreaking initiative is underway in the East Midlands to tackle employment disparities faced by young people with Learning Disabilities (LD) and/or Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC). The Connected Futures (CF) Partnership, launched in 2022, is working to boost employment figures, which currently stand at a mere 1.8% in the D2N2 region, significantly lower than the national average of 4.8%.
To drive this change, the CF Partnership has joined forces with the Centre for Youth Voice to establish the Youth Voice Ambassador (YVA) programme. Launched in 2023, this innovative scheme employs five young people with LD and/or ASC to lead commissioning efforts aimed at improving employment prospects for their peers.
The YVA programme seeks to understand the practical implications of youth-led commissioning, its unique benefits, and potential to reshape inclusive service design. By involving service users directly in commissioning, development, and delivery, government organizations and practitioners are increasingly recognizing the importance of this approach. The YVA programme is a testament to this shift, with the Centre for Youth Voice playing a pivotal role in its development.
The Youth Voice Ambassador programme, a collaboration between the Centre for Youth Voice, the Connected Futures Partnership, and the East Midlands Combined County Authority, is poised to transform employment opportunities for young people with LD and/or ASC in the D2N2 region. By empowering young people to lead commissioning efforts, this initiative not only addresses employment barriers but also fosters a more inclusive and representative service design.
Read also:
- Hospital's Enhancement of Outpatient Services Alleviates Emergency Department Strain
- Increased Chikungunya infections in UK travelers prompt mosquito bite caution
- Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister holds discussions on the prevailing circumstances in Almaty
- In the state, Kaiser Permanente boasts the top-ranked health insurance program
