Pathway is a project developed by Enactus Teesside designed to help individuals who are struggling to find work, by providing employability workshops and experience in a work environment.  Pathway aims to work in partnership with Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy to create a more rounded service in order to better prepare the beneficiaries for the world of work.

Statistics show the North East to have the highest rate of unemployment in Great Britain with 8.5% of individuals unemployed and 4.3% therefore claiming benefits (ONS, 2015). Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy works with the Jobcentre to help individuals who have been unemployed for a substantial amount of time by developing team working skills and helping behaviour through sports. Unfortunately, this service has proven to not be as effective alone as would be alongside workshops and real work experience.

Pathway aims to provide hourly workshops in a classroom environment before commencing sporting activities weekly for a period of up to six weeks. During these workshops individuals will be required to complete problem solving activities, develop communication skills and will also receive mentoring in regards to CV writing or interview techniques. Most importantly these sessions will be honed to the group’s needs, and needs assessments will be completed at the end of each session in the form of a group discussion in order to establish whether the workshops are running most effectively. Alongside this, incentives will be provided for beneficiaries to attend in the form of tea/coffee and biscuits before workshops begin.

Following this Pathway aims to form connections with local charity shops to provide volunteering opportunities for the individuals. These opportunities would be on a two week part time basis as to not appear threatening to the beneficiaries who may not have been employed for several years. Support will be given to these individuals during placement if and where needed if they continue to attend the Academy. All individuals who are forwarded on to placement will be thoroughly assessed beforehand to ensure compliance. However, all volunteering agencies will be informed prior to agreement of the situation.

The aim of this project is to create a step by step process into a working environment to prepare individuals better. Starting from building basic communication and team working skills, into honing those skills, goal setting and problem solving, then putting those skills into action in a work environment.