Building Fairer Futures

In May 2023, our Society it launched the Fairer Futures Programme in its Walsall Town Centre food store to create meaningful employment opportunities for young people aged 19–29 facing significant barriers such as disability and social anxiety – helping to break cycles of generational unemployment and deprivation.

The 12-week Fairer Futures Programme offers tailored mentoring, counselling, practical training, work experience, and access to further education, plus six months of additional support for graduates. It has delivered 968 hours of class-based training and 1,068 hours of work experience.

Our Society set up the Fairer Futures Programme in partnership with one of its local suppliers, Miss Macaroon – a social enterprise based in Birmingham, producing premium macaroons whilst providing opportunities for young adults seeking a career and building confidence in themselves. Miss Macaroon CEO Rosie Ginday MBE, who was born in Walsall, co-manages the Fairer Futures Programme, providing more opportunities for her to support young people into fulfilling careers. 

The Fairer Futures Programme has supported 60 young people in the Walsall area, with 39 now in sustained employment – a success rate of 65%. Almost two thirds of the 39 had never had a paid job before. These figures compare favourably to the government's Youth Employment Initiative for young people (2017 to 2019) where 45% of those completing a traineeship went on to secure work within six months.

The Fairer Futures programme involves a range of colleague-led workshops focused on a range of business skills and business leadership topics. Senior colleagues from across the Midcounties businesses deliver these sessions through their volunteering hours.  This helps build business skills and leadership skills for the cohorts, and helps create advocates for the Fairer futures programme amongst the society’s colleague base.  Modules delivered by colleagues include the following; career resilience, preparing for an interview, personal and professional skills, motivation and productivity, networking techniques for professional growth, and setting business and personal goals.   

In 2023 the Society outlined the Fairer Future Programme’s defined goal: “As a minimum, we will empower 36 young people facing challenges to transform their lives within the next three years.”  The Fairer Futures Programme has more than achieved its targets. It has achieved its goal of helping 36 young people transform their lives a year earlier than planned – with 39 young people having found employment through the programme after just two years.