Location
Years
2015- 2019
Activity
FACT was a partnership with Salford City Council. It worked with young people aged 12-14 years from a low-income background, with significant but unfulfilled potential, and who lack personal or family contacts and networks into high-quality, high-skill economic opportunities.
The FACT programme is delivered through a series of hackathons. The ‘hacks’ within the sessions are designed to enable a creative space for problem solving for the young people to engage in. Each hackathon with a key growth industry takes place within a full school day and is held onsite at an appropriately risk assessed local industry/business venue.
If any young people with entrepreneurial quality emerge or are identified, they are provided with support and contacts to help them progress.
Impact
An independent evaluation found that the majority of young people reported that being involved in FACT had changed their thoughts about having an exciting or fulfilling career. In one school, almost half of the young people participating had their risk of not being in employment, education or training reduced from medium to low.
There was a marked improvement in self-assessment of soft skills by more than half of the young people participating. School staff reflected most impact amongst the young people with regard to confidence; team work; and presentation and communication skills.
The 26 businesses that participated in the FACT programme commended the following skills amongst the young people: communication / presentation; ideas / creativity; and team work.
Funded by
Salford City Council (children’s services) and the Young Foundation
