Increasing first work experiences in rural, coastal towns with Haven

Youth Employment UK provides a range of accessible careers resources and free online courses for young people to help them make confident, informed decisions about their future and prepare for the world of work.

Youth Employment UK has been working with holiday company Haven to help launch early careers outreach projects to help young people in rural, coastal areas into work. A membership organisation, Youth Employment UK are youth employment experts who work with young people, employers and policy makers to change the youth employment landscape for the better.

Haven, who are part of Bourne Leisure Ltd and have 38 park locations across the UK including Cumbria, Ceredigion, Weymouth and Filey, have launched an Early Careers Academy to help young people into jobs across these sites. Experiences created for the youth of coastal towns have included being mentored by Haven chefs to create meals for homeless charities.

Haven approaches youth employment from the perspective of closing the social mobility gap, creating opportunities for young people who may not otherwise have had them. Many of Haven’s sites are located in areas facing social mobility challenges, including coastal towns in the northeast and northwest. Young people in these locales face additional barriers to opportunity compared to those who live in large towns and major cities.

Youth Employment UK visited the Haven holiday park in Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk to speak to young Haven employees about their local area for the Youth Voice Census 2023 and found that those who lived further away in the less remote area of larger Norwich felt their were more opportunities for study and work, compared to those closer to the rural, coastal area who had limited opportunities.

Therefore, the company aims to support people in education across its communities by providing career opportunities through its partner schools.

Haven has launched an Employer Profile on the Youth Employment UK website to allow it to showcase its range of options and career pathways, including a Virtual Work Experience course which builds on the current range of free courses available from Youth Employment UK.

These early careers outreach activities will help young people learn about the world of work and the range of careers available to them in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Haven has pledged to create opportunities for young people across its entire business to allow people of all backgrounds to join and thrive in their careers.

For more information about Haven Early Careers, visit Haven’s profile on Youth Employment UK.

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