Bring the Power
Aiming to harness the unifying spirit of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Bring the Power programme set out to energise youth engagement, ensuring that the social benefits resonated throughout communities and inspired young individuals across the West Midlands and beyond. EmployabilityUK’s ‘Inspiring Young Birmingham’ programme proved to be a natural fit for this partnership with perfectly aligned goals and impact measures.
Objective
Our mission was to provide high-quality sessions that created meaningful, impactful, and inspiring experiences. The intention was to cultivate the participants as agents of change within their communities and boost their future employability. EmployabilityUK collaborated closely with trusted local and national practitioners to develop bespoke activities and workshops, infusing them with themes linked to the Games.
Implementation
EmployabilityUK embraced the excitement of the Games, integrating it with our existing workshop structure. We carried out sessions for uniformed groups (Scouts and Air Cadets) in Birmingham and Solihull. Spanning over six weeks, the programme allowed the young participants to identify and build on their existing skills, explore self-development and career opportunities, create personal storyboards, and grasp the concepts of resilience and goal setting.
A highlight of the programme was the participation of British gymnast Joshua Nathan, who took a break from his training schedule to collaborate with EmployabilityUK. The athlete shared his journey into sports, discussed how he demonstrated resilience, dealt with setbacks, and overcame challenges. Joshua’s Q&A session provided an exciting opportunity for the participants, adding an extra layer of inspiration to the programme.
Communication and Delivery
Throughout the collaboration, EmployabilityUK developed and monitored precise and comprehensive information on the programme deliverables, its alignment with Games-related content, and the projected outcomes for the participants. The engagement with the athlete, partners, and community groups involved was highly commendable.
EmployabilityUK’s approachable and professional delivery style fostered an open, honest, and engaging environment right from the beginning.
The final session of the first phase took place at 495 (Sutton Coldfield) Sqn RAF Air Cadets, where participants engaged in various sessions to build confidence and raise aspirations, including:
■ Be Your Best You
■ The A-Z of Super Confidence
■ Vision Boards
■ CV clinic
The celebratory nature of this final session culminated with the award of completion certificates and a final Q&A and networking session with EmployabilityUK supporters.
What United by 2022 Said
“EmployabilityUK’s work not only smashed targets for the project they
originally set out to achieve, but also you were a brilliant partner on our youth
engagement programme, Bring the Power.
“One of the things that EmployabilityUK does so well is you engaged those
young people predominantly, from the uniform groups and brought them
along to do CV workshops. They had vision boards going on. They had
interview skills happening. These are really practical things that they’ll take
with them throughout their career, not just for today.”
Outcome and Future Prospects
The Bring the Power programme was a resounding success, leading to further opportunities building on the legacy of the Games. As we progress into Phase Two of the programme under the Games Legacy Charity – United By 2022, EmployabilityUK looks forward to continuing this immensely fruitful and
beneficial relationship and anticipate exciting developments in the future.
Together, we can transform futures.
The Commonwealth Games in 2022 was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to inspire young people across the region, and its influence will continue for many years to come. The lasting impact will continue to serve as a cornerstone of one of EmployabilityUK’s most Powerful Partnerships.
Join us today and play a pivotal role in moulding the aspiring professionals and future leaders of our communities. Let’s shape tomorrow, together!