Youth employment group gets status boost – The Royal Gazette

Created: Jun 09, 2024 08:00 AM

The directors of SkillCraft welcome their new charity status: Margot Shane, left, with Stacey-Lee Williams and Emilie Faulkner-Meel (Photograph supplied)

A group that helps youngsters bridge the gap between work and employment has been recognised as a charity.

SkillCraft, which offers internship programmes to people aged between 16 and 18, broke the news last week.

Margot Shane, the cofounder and programme director, said: “The directors of SkillCraft Bermuda and I are overjoyed to have received our charity status.

“There is a great need for supporting young people in moving into their working lives both from a social skills and workplace behaviours and competencies standpoint.”

A SkillCraft marketing class held last summer (Photograph supplied)

SkillCraft programmes blend experiential learning, skills development and mentorship to help high school pupils better adjust to the workforce after graduation.

Government statistics from 2022 showed that the 16 to 24 age bracket had the highest rate of unemployment, at 11.1 per cent.

Ms Shane said the figures revealed a “‘chicken and egg’ problem”, where young people struggled to find a job because of a lack of work experience.

A SkillCraft lesson (Photograph supplied)

SkillCraft will offer yearlong internship programmes with the assistance of high schools, and a second internship programme aimed at men, who are twice as likely to suffer unemployment.

The charity also hopes to hire a full-time staff to run its projects.