LandAid’s Employability Programme

Creating sustainable pathways into education, employment, and training for young people.

LandAid’s work is evolving. Having historically been solely focussed on the provision of homes, we need to respond more strategically to the range of factors that cause youth homelessness – maximising our unique position between the charity and corporate sectors to create pathways into education, employment, and training for vulnerable young people.

Following a successful employability pilot in partnership with SEGRO, LandAid has supported over 140 young people across four locations in the UK – with 20 of those young people securing permanent, paid employment. This pilot has paved the way for LandAid to provide more holistic support to young people in developing skills for, and having access to quality jobs to sustain a home.

We will invest in routes out of homelessness for young people through jobs and skills

As essential as safe, affordable accommodation is in the fight against youth homelessness, young people can only truly move on when they have access to quality jobs that provide sustainability and enable self-sufficiency.

Our areas of focus in the employability space include:

Access to work, education and training,
Mentoring,
Direct financial support.

The LandAid Employability Programme consists of three elements:

1. Research – Assessing the employability landscape:

We are currently undertaking a research project that will scope the landscape of employability to develop a clear understanding of the needs of charities and young people experiencing homelessness. This will create a strong evidence base for the programme.

The research will also seek out best practice in employability, engaging with local charities and businesses (in real estate and beyond) to ensure that this initiative is as focussed and impactful as possible.

2. The LandAid Employability Fund – Creating routes out of homelessness:

LandAid’s Employability Fund will provide financial support to charity employability initiatives for young people experiencing homelessness. Through this grant stream, we will fund a range of emerging and existing employability initiatives, including seed-funding for emerging innovations across the country. This funding stream only strengthens LandAid’s ambition to provide young people with routes out of homelessness, providing pathways to paid employment and enabling them to transition towards living independently.

3. Employability toolkits – Unlocking employability:

LandAid will create two innovative, interactive Employability Toolkits – which will encompass a variety of resources, video content, and training sessions for young people and businesses alike.

Employability support in action

Through an annual giving campaign, LandAid have partnered with StreetSmart for the last five years to fund youth homelessness charities and the young people they support.

StreetSmart’s 2023 campaign saw an increase in charities applying for employability project funding, demonstrating the need for this programme of work.

StreetSmart and LandAid funded five projects totalling £181,000 across London – supporting 121 young people into employment, education and training. The charity beneficiaries include:

Fat Macy’s
Switchback
Youth League UK
Change Please Foundation
Well Kneaded

With thanks to our Employability Founding Partners:

Support LandAid's Employability Programme

LandAid's partners will be key in helping us to develop this pioneering initiative for young people facing homelessness, youth homelessness charities and the real estate sector. To learn more about how you can support LandAid's Employability Programme, contact Will Keenan, Strategic Programmes Manager.