About the project
Supporting young people to build confidence, develop employability skills, and take positive steps towards education, employment, or training.
Ready To Work is a targeted support programme for young people aged 16-25 in Southend-on-Sea who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), or at risk of becoming NEET.
The programme is funded by Southend-on-Sea City Council and delivered in partnership with Southend Adult Community College and a network of local providers.
Southend YMCA coordinates the Ready To Work programme, ensuring young people receive consistent, joined-up support and clear progression pathways.
Ready To Work operates as a bridge programme, supporting young people who may not yet be ready for formal education, training or employment. The programme prioritises confidence, emotional safety and engagement as the foundation for long-term progression.
Why Ready To Work Works
We recognise that young people often face complex and overlapping barriers, including anxiety, low confidence, disrupted education, and social isolation.
Our approach is relational, flexible and youth work-led, recognising that trust and engagement are often essential before progression can happen.
The programme focuses on:
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Building trusted relationships through consistent, supportive engagement
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Delivering small group sessions and 1:1 tailored support
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Creating flexible pathways based on individual readiness
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Using creative and practical approaches to build motivation
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Supporting realistic, achievable next steps
Engagement is often non-linear, with progress building over time as confidence and emotional safety increase.
Sessions are designed to be accessible and supportive, with start times no earlier than 10:00am to encourage participation.
What Ready To Work Offers
The programme provides a structured but flexible package of support, including:
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Confidence building and motivation
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Employability skills (CVs, applications and interviews)
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Functional skills support (English & Maths)
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Workplace behaviour and expectations
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Career exploration and goal setting
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1:1 tailored support and mentoring
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Support into employment, training or further education
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Life skills development, including:
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Communication
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Time management
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Wellbeing
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Preparing for adult responsibilities
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Programme Structure
Delivery takes place across the week in partnership with local services:
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Monday: Employability (Southend Careers Service & Southend Adult Community College)
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Tuesday: Creative engagement and Personal development (Southend YMCA)
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Thursday: Functional Skills - Maths & English (Southend Adult Community College)
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Friday: Life skills & independent living (Southend YMCA)
The programme typically runs over a 6-week core period, with the option for continued support for up to 1 year.
Young people usually attend 3 days per week (maximum 4 days).
Who It Supports
Ready To Work supports young people aged 16-25 who:
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Are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET
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Need additional support to build confidence and skills
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May experience barriers such as:
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Anxiety and low confidence
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SEND or additional learning needs
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Disrupted education histories
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Social isolation or limited peer networks
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Care experience or Youth Justice involvement
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Many participants arrive with low trust in formal education or structured settings. The programme is designed to rebuild confidence and reintroduce engagement at a pace that works for them.
How It Works
Referral → Assessment → Personalised Plan → Programme Delivery → Progression
Each young person receives a tailored support plan, with regular reviews to track progress and identify next steps.
Southend YMCA works across partners to coordinate delivery and ensure a consistent and supportive experience.
Impact & Outcomes
Ready To Work supports young people to move into:
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Further education or training
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Employment or apprenticeships
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Volunteering and work experience
During a recent delivery period:
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43 young people were referred
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23 engaged meaningfully
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37.5% progressed into positive next steps (employment, education or volunteering)
In addition to outcomes, many participants made significant progress in:
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Confidence and wellbeing
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Routine and attendance
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Communication and employability readiness
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Understanding realistic progression pathways
Some young people progress into ongoing support within Southend YMCA, enabling continued development before external progression.
Building Readiness for the Future
Success is not only measured by immediate outcomes, but by the progress young people make along the way.
Participants often demonstrate:
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Increased confidence and social interaction
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Improved timekeeping and reliability
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Greater motivation and self-direction
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Clearer understanding of next steps
“It’s always going at a good pace for me. The people actually understand me.” - Participant, 16
Partnership Approach
Ready To Work is delivered through a strong local partnership:
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Funded by: Southend-on-Sea City Council
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Education partner: Southend Adult Community College
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Coordinated by: Southend YMCA
Delivery partners include:
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Southend Careers Service
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Southend Virtual School
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SEND, Youth Justice and Care Teams
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Southend-on-Sea City Council (including Speech & Language Therapy support)
This partnership ensures young people benefit from a wide range of expertise and coordinated support.
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Referrals & Access
Ready To Work is a targeted programme and not an open-access offer.
Referrals must come through one of the following pathways:
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Southend Virtual School
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Youth Justice Service
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Southend Careers Service *(include clickable link)*
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SEND (via appropriate professionals)
Self-referrals are not accepted.
👉 Referral forms must be completed by a professional within one of the pathways above.
Referrals & Access
If you are a professional working with a young person who may benefit from Ready To Work:
👉 Please refer via one of the approved pathways
For further information, contact:
readytowork@southendymca.org.uk