11 March 2024
Quilter, the financial adviser and wealth manager and one of Southampton’s largest employers, hosted an employability day for disadvantaged young adults in the region in collaboration with two charities, MyBnk and the Prince’s Trust.
The event, which was aimed at helping those aged 16 to 25, was held on Wednesday at Quilter House, Quilter’s Southampton location on Portland Terrace.
The employability day was designed to give local young adults the skills required to step on to the employment ladder. Through an in-depth introduction to the working world, those attending were offered educational workshops which provided guidance on how to write a successful CV, as well as practice interviews with experienced volunteers.
Around 6,500 people aged 16 and over in Southampton were unemployed as of September 2023, with the employment rate increasing from 3.6% to 4.6% over the prior year, according to the Office for National Statistics
The Quilter Foundation, Quilter’s charitable arm, has funded financial education for thousands of young people across the South and has aided the expansion of MyBnk’s programmes across the country. MyBnk is a charity which specialises in providing financial education to young people, with its southern hub based in Southampton.
This latest initiative sees a further collaboration with the Prince’s Trust, a charity founded by King Charles to support vulnerable young people who may face the challenges of unemployment, homelessness, or mental health problems.
In addition to the employability day, Quilter and MyBnk have been hosting series of financial and digital skills programmes at Quilter House called ‘Money Works’. The sessions, which started in February and will run until November 2024, will provide money management skills to young adults living independently across the region. They cover a range of financial topics such as budgeting, household costs, personal income breakdowns, borrowing and avoiding scams.
Quilter, MyBnk and the Prince’s Trust hope to reach more than 100 young adults across the employability and Money Works events in the coming months.
Harvinder Rathore, Quilter Foundation engagement lead, said: “We are delighted to be hosting a series of events to support young adults in Southampton through our employability day as well as through MyBnk’s financial literacy workshops.
“Educating young adults is a key element of the Quilter Foundation’s work. We are proud to be a part of creating change through financial education and giving young adults the tools to manage their money effectively. We believe that attendees will utilise the skills they take from these events and will be able to implement them into their daily lives, helping young people across Southampton to get on the career ladder whilst overcoming any barriers they may face to prosperity.”
Laura Ellis, MyBnk’s area manager of the South and Wales, said: “MyBnk is excited to be offering this package of financial education and employability to young people in Southampton. We have been working with Quilter for many years, successfully reaching thousands of young learners across the South. MyBnk has partnered with the Prince’s Trust to offer this new three-day programme of finance and work skills with the amazing volunteers at Quilter.
“Financial education and employability are two key skills that go hand-in-hand in helping young people transition into independence. We hope this programme gives young people in Southampton the building blocks and skills they need to start their working lives with confidence."
