提升唐宁郡的未来：通过地方、协作和青年主导的服务提供塑造青年就业成果

Shaping youth employment outcomes throughlocal, collaborative and youth-led service provision Sherelle Davids,Domiziana Turcatti,Brandon TreacyAllarnaBishopOwusu,Hector Yu,Katharine Stockland ABOUT THE AUTHORS Dr. Sherelle Davidsis a Social Researcher at theNational Institute of Economic and SocialResearch (NIESR) and a Visiting Fellow in the Sociology Department of the London Schoolof Economics (LSE). Dr. Domiziana TurcattiwasaSenior Social Researcher at NIESR.Sheis aPostdoctoralAffiliate to the Centre on Migration, Policy, and Society (COMPAS) and the School ofAnthropology and Museum Ethnography of the University of Oxford. Brandon Treacy, Allarna Bishop Owusu and Hector Yuare members of the LewishamConnected Future’s Youth Action Board. Dr. Katharine Stocklandwas a Senior Social Researcher at NIESR. ABOUT NIESR NIESRis Britain's longest established independent research institute, founded in 1938. Thevision of our founders was to carry out research to improve understanding of the economicand social forces that affect people’s lives, and the ways in which policy canbring aboutchange. Over eighty years later, this remains central to NIESR’s ethos. We continue to applyour expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methods and our understanding ofeconomic and social issues to current debates and to influencepolicy. The Institute isindependent of all party-political interests. National Institute of Economic and Social Research2 Dean Trench StLondon SW1P 3HET: +44 (0)20 7222 7665E: enquiries@niesr.ac.ukwww.niesr.ac.uk Registered charity no. 306083 FUNDING Thisresearchwas funded by Youth Futures Foundationas part of their ConnectedFuturesprogramme. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thankYouth Futures Foundationfor funding and supporting this research.We also would like to thanktheConnected Futures LewishamPartnershipfor theirsupport in the recruitment of research participants and co-designof the aims of theresearch.A special thank youtoMarley Williamswhohascontributed to the delivery ofworkshopswith the partnership;and toDr Emma Simpsonfor her invaluable feedback ondrafts of the report. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Research context Funded by Youth Futures Foundation, the Lewisham Connected Futures (Lewisham CF)partnership is taking a hyper-local approach to tackling youth unemployment in Downham–an area with high youth unemployment, deprivation, low job density and weak transportlinks. To address these challenges, Lewisham CF launchedElevate 100, a youth-led hubbased in Downham Health and Leisure Centre. The hub aims toimprove access to support,strengthen collaboration between local organisations and embedyouth leadershipviatheYouth Action Board (YAB). Researchfocus This report: •Providesqualitative insights to guide thedevelopment of Elevate 100.•Examinestheadvice, guidance and support young people value, as well as thesystemic barriers affecting access.•Explores service providers’perspectives on the enablers and challenges ofcollaborativeprovision.•Exploresservices providers’ and young people’s perspectives on theenablers andchallenges ofyouth-led provision. Methodology The research (running from Dec 2024 to May 2025) usedqualitativeandparticipatorymethods. Participants included young people, Lewisham CF partners, service providers,parents, and the YAB. Methods included: •Timeline interviewswith 18 young people from Downham and nearby areas.•Semi-structured interviewswith nine service providers acrossvarious sectors.•A parent focus group.•A focus group with the YAB. Key Findings Downham and youth unemployment From the perspective of young people and local services providers. There were four keyunderlying causes of youth employment in Downham: •Low job density and poor transport infrastructurelimit access to work, creatingfeelings of isolation and reinforcing generational disadvantage.•Administrative geographies and uneven local investmentcontribute to a sense thatDownham being overlooked, with unclear responsibility between Lewisham andBromley affecting service access.•Gang Cultureaffects youth employment by creating perceived alternative incomesources and restricting safe travel across areas.•Limited awareness and access to local servicesstems from unclear pathways andineffective communication, rather than lack of motivation by young people. Locating Elevate 100 in the Leisure Centre was seen as a strategic move that increasesaccessibility and visibility of support. Experiences of navigating the labour market by young people in Downham Young people we spoke to highlightedkey challenges they faced trying to enterandremain in the labour market. Challenges young peoplehighlightedincluded: •The emotional toll of job searchingas a result of repeated job rejections andperceivedunrealisticrequirements forentry-leveljobs. These led tofeelings ofhopelessnessand periods of economic inactivity as a coping strategy.•Overwhelming and impersonal online job platforms,that encourage massapplicationsl