Earlier this month, the ISV team took some time out to enjoy afternoon tea with their recruitment clients and friends, all in aid of raising awareness of youth unemployment.

 

ISV & The Opera Youth Foundation

 

ISV was a sponsor at the afternoon tea event run by the OPERA Global Youth Foundation, in association with Recruitment International and the Prince’s Trust.

 

OPERA are a charitable organisation, perfectly aligned to the recruitment industry. They know that recruiters can and do make a difference to people’s lives – by helping them to find, gain and stay in work. As such, OPERA’S purpose is to unite every recruiter, to empower 71 million young people to thrive, not just survive.

 

The cause fits perfectly with ISV’s values. We look at transferable skills and believe everyone has the potential to find their perfect job and excel in it.

 

Joined by clients Meridian Business Support and Boomerang Funding, and friends from trade body TEAM, we gathered at the impressive Institution of Civil Engineers at 1 Great George Street, just off Parliament Square in London. ISV’s Managing Director Amanda Davies, also used the opportunity to meet with her newly discovered extended family, from finance and fundraising recruitment company Robertson Bell.

 

Speaking From Experience

 

The building oozed heritage and history, fitting well with the theme of careers and development. We heard from Impellam’s Director of Talent, Jill Thornton who talked us through their apprentice and intern programme. The results Impellam has seen from this are hard to ignore. They found an increase in employee engagement, better retention both in existing employees and those new to the business, and better results. They’ve also been open minded enough to accept applications through media such as Snapchat and Twitter, recognising that some school leavers will have little or no experience to add to a CV.

 

A young Ambassador from the Prince’s Trust did a superb job of speaking to the audience about what finding a job had given him, from finding stability to having a purpose. The opportunity of employment took him from, in his words, a dark place to a place of more hope. Honourable mention must also go to Paul Dewick of Boomerang Funding, who donated his raffle prize, a £100 Amazon voucher, to the speaker.

 

Finally, OPERA CEO, Esther O’Callaghan OBE, closed with heartfelt comments that youth unemployment is not inevitable. Good jobs offer the possibility of lifting a young person out of poverty through self-empowerment. Every £500 raised by OPERA directly supports one person to stay in work for at least 12 months through the Prince’s Trust.

 

Get Involved

 

You can get involved today by donating directly, hosting your own fundraiser or getting involved in future OPERA events.