Here's a brief history of how the YES Partnership has evolved
In January 2012, a small group of members of Waltham Abbey Town Partnership expressed growing concern at the increasing numbers of young people, both at school and NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), who were experiencing increasing difficulty in accessing the pathway to employment.
The group was soon enlarged to include representatives from education, business, youth organisations, Job Centre Plus, local residents and officers from Epping Forest District Council, all of whom were involved in the initial pilot events and could bring the essential specialist knowledge and skills that are so vital for success.
In September, 2013, YES Partnership held its first AGM as a brand new, stand-alone, voluntary organisation.
New Award Targets Excellence in Youth Employment
In 2013 YES introduced the Motivation Conference and, in 2014, King Harold Academy and Debden Park High School participated in both the Motivation Conference and the WOW Conference.
In 2015, YES offered this service to all six, state, secondary schools within the Epping Forest District giving 240 students the encouragement to plan their start to their working life.
Local businesses provided the young people with such superb support, information and encouragement at school and at these events that, with Eleanor Laing MP as its patron, the YES Partnership set up a new, annual award, “Investors in Young People”, in 2014. This award ceremony, celebrating everything that is great about the work of our young people and the businesses that employ and support them, is now a permanent feature of the YES calendar and has been repeated in October 2015.
The 2016 award ceremony, in November, was expanded and, for the first time, a short explanatory film accompanied the presentation of the awards. Cllr. John Jowers, our guest of honour, congratulated YES on the support that is provided by our programme and expressed the hope that this service should be available across the county of Essex.
In July, 2017, the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, responsible for "Business & Publications", held preliminary discussions with the Chairman of Harlow Chamber of Commerce and the organiser of "Aspire", also based in Harlow. They, both, showed enthusiasm for YES and discussions continued after the Youth Employment Strategy's Annual General Meeting.
The 2017 award ceremony, on 9th November, has been expanded, further, and, amongst other improvements, will give details of the sponsors who, generously, have enabled the event to continue .