In collaboration with Paragon, the West Ham United Foundation facilitated a Prince’s Trust Get Started programme, aiming to empower young people on their journey towards employment.
Tailored for individuals aged 16 to 30 who are currently not engaged in education, training, or employment, the Prince’s Trust Get Started courses offer participants industry insights and hands-on experience across various sectors. These initiatives are designed not only to equip participants with practical skills but also to bolster their confidence as they navigate their professional paths.
“The main goal of the Foundation’s employability delivery is to provide young people with pathways into employment,” said WHUF mentor Paulo Borges-Garcez. “As a Club Community Organisation, most of our delivery is focused on football and coaching, so it was interesting to see participants engage in a new sector that they are perhaps not so familiar with and draw upon their existing expertise, realising that so many of their skills are transferable.”
Having recently delivered a Get Started in Female Football Leadership for girls looking to take their first steps into coaching with the FA, the WHU Foundation collaborated with its longstanding partner Paragon to deliver a week-long programme exploring the abundant career opportunities available at the business. Paragon is a leading provider of business services in the UK and across the globe, with a range of specialisms that include print and digital communications.
Delivered at their site in Dagenham, the programme provided participants with exclusive access to Paragon’s state-of-the-art facilities and a behind-the-scenes look of the UK’s largest direct mail production company.
“Coming to Paragon this week, I’ve seen there’s so much more to the printing industry than I had imagined,” said course completer Ihtirum. “It was great insight into what employers look for in candidates and opened my eyes to the importance of transferable skills. Skills aren’t exclusive to one sector; you can bring your knowledge and experience to so many different jobs and careers.”
Commenting on the learning outcomes, Paragon Head of Learning & Development, Lee Bennett said: “This week participants learnt about the importance of transferable skills. Young people come to the WHU Foundation for football related reasons, to become a coach or get into scouting networks. Bringing these young people into a different type of office space in a different industry shows just how important skills such as communication, working as part of a team and presenting are.”
Committed to driving positive change within their communities, both the WHU Foundation and Paragon remain dedicated to supporting young individuals on their journey to employment.
Completers of the programme can continue to access employability support and are encouraged to explore further opportunities through Paragon's Ignite apprenticeship scheme, unlocking various career pathways in logistics, printing, marketing, as well as plenty of other departments.
“The Ignite programme invites young people to join us for ten weeks of paid work,” Lee explained. “It’s a great opportunity to understand different parts of our business and hone their skills. If it’s right for both parties, there are job opportunities at the end.”
Throughout the course, participants were able to engage with industry managers as well as connect with individuals who have successfully completed the apprenticeship, benefiting from mentorship and guidance.
“An important part of the programme was to connect the participants with our employees who have benefitted from our Ignite apprenticeship,” Lee continued. “These are talented young individuals who were in their shoes not long ago. We look forward to continuing our support for these young people.”
To find out more about the WHU Foundation’s employability support, please contact WHU Foundation Employability Manager Rashid Abba at [email protected].
Similarly, for those interested in Paragon's Ignite apprenticeship scheme, please contact Head of Learning & Development Lee Bennett at [email protected].
