Isaiah, 18 years old, from Haringey was driven in his ambition to secure an apprenticeship, however he had limited experience of the recruitment process (e.g. assessment centres) and lacked the employer relationships needed to be successful in the apprenticeship market. We enrolled Isaiah on our Pathways programme to help him overcome these challenges and support his journey into a meaningful apprenticeship outcome.

At the beginning of the programme, Isaiah’s CYT coach delivered bespoke employability sessions, including coaching on how to develop an effective CV that would stand out to employers. Through these sessions, as well as inspiring careers-based activities enhanced by industry volunteers, we introduced Isaiah to the role of Quantity Surveyor. Isaiah’s CYT coach helped him to understand how this role aligned with his interest in finance, opening a new, focused career pathway for him to pursue with purpose and motivation.

Having established this specific career goal, we wanted to give Isaiah an experiential taste of what Quantity Surveying really involved, so we connected him to two work experience placements with our employer partners – including a week-long placement in Quantity Surveying. This gave him valuable experience to bolster his CV and enabled him to further strengthen his employer network.

The next step was to increase his exposure to real apprenticeships and better understand recruitment, so we connected him to a series of CYT ‘Live Vacancy’ events. These events involved mock assessment-style interviews, Q&As, and networking opportunities with volunteers and recruitment teams who were actively hiring for real-world apprenticeships roles. This helped Isaiah to expand his network and gain valuable, first-hand insight and experience of the recruitment and interview processes used for higher-level apprenticeships. Through these events, Isaiah was also introduced to industry volunteers. This included alumni -young people previously supported by CYT into apprenticeships- who Isaiah found particularly captivating as they shared honest, first-hand insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of Quantity Surveying and offered practical advice on navigating the world of work.

As Isaiah approached his post-18 transition, we supported him to submit multiple apprenticeship applications for Quantity Surveying roles and refine his approach at each stage. By continuing to commit to his 1-2-1 coaching and demonstrating great resilience throughout the application process with support from his coach, Isaiah was successful in an application for a Level 6 Quantity Surveying apprenticeship, and was offered the role!

We’re so thrilled to have made a positive difference to Isaiah’s career chances at this critical stage on his journey and are delighted to have helped him into such a meaningful and well-aligned next step. We’re sure he’s going to thrive!

Construction Youth Trust works in local communities across London and North Kent, targeting areas with a high proportion of low-income households and significant construction and regeneration.

Our Pathways to Professional Careers programme supports students (aged 16-18) interested in pursuing professional pathways, with a priority focus on those from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups. Research shows that young people from well-off backgrounds are 80% more likely to be in a professional job. Pathways aims to level the apprenticeship playing field, helping young people overcome barriers and access rewarding higher-level and degree apprenticeship opportunities and professional careers.