Youth Action NI's # Youth Empowered Programme Success

The Club were delighted to welcome to the meeting Monday 24 February guests (from left) Speaker Gillian Shields - Packaging and Sustainability Manager Coca Cola, William Redpath - Junior Chamber, Maria Perkins - YouthAction NI GETSET Youth Worker and  Speaker Clare Conlon - Team Leader Training YouthAction NI and to hear from Gillian and Clare about the success of YouthAction NI’s #Youth Empowered programme. 

Gillian noted that it was an all island programme developed and funded by Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland which was now in its 4th year (3rd with YouthAction, its primary partner) holding skills building days for young people aged 16 – 25 years with practical workshops. She advised that last year 12 skills days were held across Ireland resulting in 600 (364 in NI) young people increasing their life, work and business skills to enter the labour market. Gillian noted that the workshop based training was very effective and that there had been 96 mentors with 60 from Coca Cola and 36 from other organisations including the Club.

Clare Conlon Team Leader Training highlighted the success of the last 12 months stressing that what they had done with Rotary last year had made a difference and highlighted the statistics from their Annual Report showing that last year 96% of the young people said it had increased their employability skills in communication, teamwork, problem solving and negotiation and 100% said the business partners gave them good advice and guidance.

The Club actively support this programme and are delighted with its success. 

Following this most interesting review President Karen presented Clare with a donation for YouthAction NI.