Gemserv is excited to announce its new partnership with I Have a Voice, a charity dedicated to equipping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the tools and confidence to engage with employers involved in public policy.
Over a 12 month programme, I Have a Voice, Gemserv and our partners delivering the Heat Networks Efficiency Scheme (HNES) will collaborate to work with up to 20 young people. The support is specifically designed to provide opportunities such as internships, mentoring, work experience, career talks and career information, enabling young individuals to experience the world of work and gain insights into the processes of policymaking from inception to implementation.
The collaboration with I Have a Voice centres around supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those receiving free school meals, entitled to the pupil premium, or those with family members or caregivers receiving means-tested benefits.
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This initiative is part of a wider social value programme aimed at tackling income inequality, unemployment, and creating new jobs and skills. Gemserv and its partners are committed to leaving a legacy through the HNES scheme in terms of upskilling and creating employment opportunities for those facing barriers to work.
David Hiller, HNES Programme Director explained
Gemserv is proud to partner with I Have a Voice, enabling us and our HNES delivery partners to support up to 20 young people in engaging with the delivery of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme and gaining workplace experience. I Have a Voice is an exceptional charity doing great work to connect young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with employers. We recognise that knowledge and experience of the workplace is critical in improving educational outcomes and creating employment opportunities. Heat Networks play a vital role in achieving net zero objectives, and it is a privilege to involve young people in delivering the HNES programme, equipping them with the skills and experience for green careers and a net zero future.
Rebecca Deegan, CEO and Founder of I Have a Voice emphasised
I Have a Voice is thrilled to be partnering with Gemserv to ensure that young people from all walks of life are able to access careers in the green economy. Everyone stands to benefit from widening the talent pool for UK businesses. This partnership puts into action our shared commitment to investing time and energy to support young people from a diverse range of backgrounds to access and thrive in a rewarding career.
Evidence suggests that disadvantaged students have worse educational outcomes than their peers. In 2019, 26.5% (144,000) of pupils in state-funded schools at the end of key stage 4 were disadvantaged. Of these pupils, just a quarter achieved English and Maths at grades 9-5, compared to half of non-disadvantaged pupils.[1] However, just 14% of variation in individuals’ performance is accounted for by school quality. Most variation is explained by other factors, underlining the need to look at the range of children’s experiences, inside and outside school, when seeking to raise achievement.[2] Out of school activities such as work experience, mentoring and internships can give students the work and life skills help to address these factors. Gemserv and our partners are proud to be partnering with I Have a Voice to support young people to address the disadvantage gap and support our social value commitments.
Notes to editors:
About Gemserv
Gemserv is at the forefront of developments in the energy transition, focusing on delivering meaningful impact and market transformation supporting the journey to a low carbon economy. We deliver impact working across our projects, from implementation and policy delivery and management of trade associations through to education and communication about the environmental benefits of technologies.
We are part of a consortium of companies including Turner and Townsend, Ramboll and LuxNova delivering the HNES scheme, which provides funding to upgrade district heating systems and heat networks to help them operate more efficiently.
About I Have a Voice
I have a voice equips young people with the tools and confidence to become active citizens and pursue careers that inform and influence decisions on the biggest societal and environmental opportunities and challenges we face.
We use professional political lobbying and advocacy expertise to:
- provide non-partisan political education;
- run career focused training programmes;
- support a number of youth-led social action campaigns; and
- offer mentoring from an industry expert for people looking to get into the sector.
IHAV also uses its network to ensure that paid internship opportunities are accessible to everyone, particularly people with backgrounds that are under-represented in the world of politics and influencing.
Footnotes
[1] https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2020/04/cco-tackling-the-disadvantage-gap-during-the-covid-19-crisis.pdf
[2] https://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/default/files/jrf/migrated/files/2123.pdf
