St Edmunds Society: enabling disadvantaged young people

St Edmunds Society: enabling disadvantaged young people to believe in themselves to become the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow

Who is St Edmunds Society?

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives, but none more so than those already at-risk. Safeguarding issues such as mental health, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect have become heightened, and have emphasised the need for charities like St Edmunds.

Since 1965, St Edmunds Society (or St Eds) has been working to prevent young people in Norfolk becoming homelessness. St Eds works with students aged 16-18 (or up to 25 with an Education, Care and Health Plan) who may not have found their calling in traditional educational settings. Many suffer from low self-esteem and motivation, and are at-risk, so their wellbeing is a focus and St Eds provides them with support to focus on their studies and their future. 

The St Edmunds offer

St Eds provides young, disadvantaged people with a wide range of courses, such as: multi-skills construction qualifications, motor vehicle maintenance, hair & beauty, and catering & hospitality. They also offer functional skills and GCSE’s in English and Maths. They provide between 60 to 90 hours mandatory work experience, so that their young people can feel confident to go on to work or an apprenticeship afterwards.

St Edmunds realises the importance of offering careers advice and guidance, something which may be intimidating for those who have previously been excluded from school. A key element of the work St Ed’s does is to build the young person’s confidence, through positive and respectful relationships with staff, so that they can go on to the next step of their career. 

With their connections to firms such as Taylor Wimpey, St Eds also provides great opportunities for their young people to build their connections and their career opportunities.

Lorraine Bliss, St Eds CEO is passionate about helping young people who have had a difficult start in life to achieve their potential: “Our students have been nominated and won the Youthbuild UK, Young Builder of the Year award and we are also an established Centre of Excellence too,” Lorraine said. 

Charlie Johnson’s journey – unemployed to Building Surveyor

Charlie’s career in construction started in 2012 when the job centre referred the 16-year-old to St Eds to try out their building trades courses.

Charlies reckons he was probably a bit ‘cocky’ at the time but with the support of St Eds staff he began to shine and took to carpentry, gaining his first ever qualification. But it was an employability day held by St Eds with Taylor Wimpey that led to Charlie’s career taking off. 

In a Q&A session on health and safety, Charlie, who had recently completed his CSCS test, impressed TW’s local director and with his new-found confidence he asked them to hire him!  A two-year apprenticeship led to being accepted on a four-year sandwich BSc. Hons. Building Surveying qualification at Anglia Ruskin University, from which Charlie graduated with a 2:1. His year of experience gained on the course and his trade background made Charlie more attractive to employers than candidates who had followed a traditional academic route. His career has blossomed, working in Essex, Suffolk, London and Norwich overseeing historic building restorations, new build projects, party wall disputes, retail unit fit-outs, dilapidations, condition surveys and so much more.  

“I was so fortunate to have started my journey at St Edmunds. They were always so supportive, inspiring and genuine individuals. I can’t thank them and TW enough for allowing me to thrive and find a career that I love,” said Charlie.

Find out more about St Eds construction courses here.