The Big Lottery Fund invested over £100 million across 21 areas of England from 2013 to 2018 to help young people aged 18-24 who have been out of employment, education, or training for over 12 months to find jobs or entrepreneurial opportunities. Greater Manchester Talent Match specifically targets young carers, care leavers, ex-offenders, lone parents, and those with health or substance abuse issues. The goal is to support over 500 young people into work by the end of the 5-year program and create lasting changes in how organizations recruit and support unemployed youth. BAM and Talent Match collaborate by providing employability support, work experiences, and influencing employers and subcontractors to consider Talent Match clients.

2. Brief from Big Lottery Fund
Over £100 million 5 year investment across 21
areas of England to:
• Enable young people who are furthest from
the labour market to secure employment or
take up enterprising opportunities
• Started in December 2013- Finishing in
November 2018
(Focusing on 18 – 24 year olds who have been out of
work, education or training for over 12 months)

3. Greater Manchester Talent Match profile
18 – 24 years of age, out of employment, education
and training at least 12 months, have significant
barriers to employment
Young people who are Carers, Care leavers, Ex-offenders or
Lone parents
Young person with alcohol or substance misuse issues
Young person with health-related issues (incl. mental health
issues)
AND/OR Young person with other significant barriers to
employment

4. Targets and Legacy
.
“At the end of 5 years if all we have
done is supported 500 young people
into work and we haven’t created
lasting change, we will have failed”

5. How do we do this
• Test and learn approach
• Influencing future commissioning
• Working with employers and
contracting organisations

6. BAM and Talent Match
• We support young people on Talent Match through:
- ‘Coffee and a chat’ meetings
- Site visits
- Employability Support/ Confidence building
- Site visits
- Careers Events
- Work experience
- Employment opportunities
- Steering group and employers group support
• We work with sub-contractors to gain their support for TM

7. Recruitment:

8. Our role is to challenge this norm
• We make sub-contractors aware of Talent Match (and other
organisations) and discuss how they can work together
• We encourage organisations to share ideas and best practise
• Through some projects, we target their engagement through
KPI’s
• We guide them through the process with the support of
Talent Match – this is crucial
• It’s not the easy option

9. Does it work?
• Building Trust is crucial
• Being honest…it is challenging and things can go wrong
Sometimes it does…
…but not always

10. Questions?
Comments
Ideas

11. How can we support organisations
(public, voluntary and private sector) to
change behaviours in the way they
recruit?
How do we get them on board and help
them deal with hurdles?

12. Contact Details
Marie.graham@gmcvo.org.uk
0161 277 1039