We are proudly celebrating our county by shining a spotlight on the people that make it special. This is Extraordinary Essex and it includes the We Rise youth movement.
We Rise helps remove barriers to jobs and skills for 16 to 25-year-olds. It lets them meet training providers and career advisors about the crucial next steps in their lives.
The youth movement was set up in Canvey Island in 2023. Now, it is expanding across south Essex.
Louise, our Commissioner for Skills Development, helped run We Rise in Basildon this year. She said: “We can break down barriers so young people can find out what they actually need for a job. This includes what experience and grades they might need. And, where they need to build upon those skills to end up with the career they want.”
For Louise, seeing the difference she can make at such an important stage of young people’s lives makes what she does feel extraordinary. She said: “I caught up with a young person at an event a couple of weeks ago who I supported. They now work in recruitment and are off to Dubai, and they’re doing really well.
“He had some really, really big challenges in front of him, so it was really great to see him. He’s going to be one of the mentors on our programme now as well.”
Liz is a Marketing Executive at VTS. She ran a stall at We Rise in Basildon and recognised the conundrum many young people face.
She said: “At a young age, you don’t necessarily know what you want to do. Sometimes college and university seem like the only options, but they’re not.
“I would encourage people to go into apprenticeships even if they’re not sure what they want to do. You get such a wide variety of choice.”
Charlie, Social Value Officer at Morgan Sindall, also ran a stall at the Basildon event. He sees his work as extraordinary because it is part of a bigger picture.
He said: “Getting people into work is a bit of a priority at the moment in this country. We have access to all manner of free employability support, such as online courses. We do a lot of writing and mock interviews. We help young people understand what it’s like to work in the construction industry. We also open up the world of work as a whole.”
Sarah, Senior Economic Development officer at Basildon Council, helped run We Rise in Basildon. She added: “I think it’s essential we don’t end up with people not in education, employment or training. We support them to make a brighter future for themselves.”
Molly is a Social Value Coordinator at The TP Group. She was on-hand to speak with young people at We Rise in Basildon, saying:
“If you don’t have someone to steer you in the right way, how are you meant to know about what’s out there? Events like this are a way of meeting different people. Networking helps you understand truly what you want to do yourself.”
For Kirsty, Centre Manager at TCHC Group, it’s easy to identify what makes her work feel extraordinary. She said: “If I could just have one person say ‘That teacher gave me an opportunity. That opportunity I took, and I turned it into my life’, what more could somebody want?”
Watch the full video about We Rise on our Extraordinary Essex channels.