Yorkshire Building Society and FareShare Partnership Reaches 1,000 Participants in Building Skills for the Future Programme

Strategic Insights -

In a significant milestone, the partnership between Yorkshire Building Society and FareShare has reached 1,000 participants in the Building Skills for the Future programme. Launched in December 2023, the programme has provided participants across the UK with valuable skills, qualifications, and confidence to move closer to employment. Funded by Yorkshire Building Society and delivered by FareShare's network partners, the programme offers tailored support to help people prepare for work, including warehouse and kitchen work experience, Food Hygiene and Manual Handling accreditations, and CV and interview workshops.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Building Skills for the Future programme has already helped 105 participants secure paid work, with hundreds more gaining new skills and qualifications.
  • The programme has reached 1,000 participants across the UK, including in Yorkshire, Merseyside, London, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
  • The partnership between Yorkshire Building Society and FareShare aims to raise £1million by June 2026.
  • The programme offers tailored support to help people prepare for work, including warehouse and kitchen work experience, Food Hygiene and Manual Handling accreditations, and CV and interview workshops.
  • Susan Allen, chief executive of Yorkshire Building Society, stated that the programme is about restoring confidence and helping people move towards financial independence.
  • Gareth Batty, Director of Network at FareShare, emphasized that the employability programmes support people who may be vulnerable into good, sustainable work, helping to address one of the root causes of poverty.

Statistics:

  • 1,000 participants have been supported through the Building Skills for the Future programme.
  • 105 participants have secured paid work through the programme.
  • The programme aims to support 2,500 people by 2026.
  • Colleagues from Yorkshire Building Society, including those from Peterborough, have raised over £700,000 to fund the programme.

Sources:

  • Yorkshire Building Society
  • FareShare
  • [Source cited as "ybs.co.uk/fareshare"]