Now more than ever, at Otesha we see an urgent need to provide meaningful work and training for young people and to address environmental and social injustice. Our green jobs programmes are exploring pioneering ways to tackle each of these generational issues at the same time, creating ‘pipelines‘ which equip young people with the skills and experience to gain work which benefits both them and the wider world.
Green enterprise centre
Targeted at young unemployed people with an enterpreneurial flair, the centre will provide training, skills and paid work experience with Otesha partner organisations, who will in turn benefit from affordable office accommodation at the hub. Graduates of our programme will have the chance to receive ongoing mentorship, workspace and resources to start up their own projects or businesses.
East London Green Jobs Alliance
Otesha is the anchor organisation for the Alliance, a coalition of businesses, unions, trainers and educators, NGOs, community groups working together to create green and decent jobs for East London citizens through a combination of demonstration projects, advocacy of the greener jobs agenda and encouraging and supporting new green enterprises.
The pipeline is a demonstration project in east London that will work in partnership with employers, training providers and support agencies to create pathways into employment for approximately 15 young people who want to work in the green trades. The initial pilot will focus on either solar roofing or insulation and target young people who face barriers to employment. If successful, it could be a groundbreaking model for future initiatives around the UK and beyond.
The Gear Up programme ran from September 2010-March 2011, helping to connect unemployed young people aged 18-19 with meaningful work experience in environmental organisations, where they were given the opportunity to take on a leadership role. Gear Up members also accessed training, skills development and mentorship opportunities.