Barely a month into the COVID lockdown, the pandemic already had deeply damaging consequences for young people from ethnic minority groups: they were made redundant faster than their peers, had more money problems, and many struggled with mental health issues. Something needed to be done to stop these inequalities getting entrenched.

Versiti approached the Youth Futures Foundation to fund a participatory approach to understand lived experiences and co-create solutions. We recruited and trained diverse young people to design and deliver research ‘with and for’ young people, not just ‘about’ them.      

Young people provided a window into their world - mostly spent in isolation, at home, without physical activity, living in fear for relatives’ health and dreading a bleak future. It became clear that careers advice, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship support would have little chance of succeeding without emotional support - a fact overlooked by policy-makers.

The approach empowered both peer researchers and participants. Insights fed into the government’s flagship employment program for young universal credit claimants: Kickstart. Versiti and Youth Futures Foundation won the MRS ‘Audience Award’, voted by market research experts.

Accolade

2021 MRS IMPACT Audience Award I WINNER