Haven has been named the winner of the Good Youth Employment Benchmark Explore award.
As one of three key categories in the Good Youth Employment Benchmark, a tool created by Youth Employment UK for employers to monitor and measure their youth employment strategies, the Explore award celebrates Haven’s exceptional commitment to supporting young people at the start of their career journeys.
Haven’s great win showcases their exemplary standards for engaging young people at the start of their career journeys, whether or not they choose to work in their sector.
Championing Youth Engagement
With their benchmark success, Haven has demonstrated that they are leading the way with education and community outreach, keeping a strong focus on building young people’s aspirations to improve their readiness for work.
Haven has worked hard to achieve this accolade, engaging with over 1,000 young people in the last 12 months through activities such as:
- Careers talks and events
- CV and job application preparation
- Tailored employer encounters
Throughout 2024, Haven has been consistently proactive in partnering with schools to improve careers education. As highlighted in the 2024 Youth Voice Census data, a continued drive to improve work readiness is sorely needed, with only 36% of young people in secondary school citing that they think they understand the skills employers are looking for.
Inclusion at the Heart of Haven’s Work
What sets Haven apart is their unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion. When speaking at the Good Youth Employment Symposium, Dean Giles, Head of Learning and Development at Haven stated they must ‘go slow to go fast’. Haven is committed to putting time, investment and effort into the work they do in their communities and knows that big change can only be made by a continued dedication to the Good Youth Employment Standards.
The organisation strives to engage underrepresented groups, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people and those with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). Haven designs programmes that reflect the specific needs of these groups and takes the time to understand the local landscape and challenges being faced.
Key to any learning and development, it was noted that Haven actively seeks feedback from participants in their programmes, ensuring the content and design of the programme remains tailored to the communities it serves.
Complete the 2025 Good Youth Employment Benchmark
Haven’s achievement serves as a great example for other employers. By completing the Good Youth Employment Benchmark, employers not only gain well-earned recognition but also join a growing network of organisations dedicated to creating better opportunities for young people.
The Good Youth Employment Benchmark reopens in January 2025, giving more organisations the opportunity to monitor and measure the impact of their youth employment strategies. The benchmark offers employers the unique ability to track what is working in their organisation and what could be improved, backed by data-driven insights.
By completing the benchmark you will be entered into the 2025 awards held at our annual symposium.
Congratulations to Haven!
We extend a massive congratulations to Haven for their well-deserved win and for setting an inspiring example of what can be achieved through dedication, inclusivity, and innovation in youth engagement.
