Catch22 celebrates being shortlisted for the ERSA Youth Employment award

Social business and charity, Catch22 has been named as a finalist for the ERSA Employability Awards 2017, sponsored by Clarion Housing Group, in the Youth Employment Award category.

The ERSA Employability Awards, now in their fifth year, celebrate and champion best practice from across the employment support sector. This year the awards were judged by a member of the Work and Pensions Committee in the last Parliament, Heidi Allen MP; Nick Butler, Head of Work programme Performance at the Department for Work and Pensions; Laura Gardiner, Senior Research and Policy Analyst, the Resolution Foundation; and last year’s winner of the Adviser of the Year Award, Keith Tottingham.

Catch22 was nominated for the Youth Employment Award, sponsored by APM recognising an employment services provider who has demonstrated exceptional commitment in delivering employment services for young adults. ERSA received over 130 submissions across ten categories and the winners of the Employability Awards will be announced at a special ceremony held in London on 29 June attended by the Minister for Employment.

Catch22 supports 16-24 year olds who aren’t in employment, education, or training to find a supportive place of work and their professional purpose. This year, they supported 1088 individuals across the UK into jobs and apprenticeships. Their reputation for delivery means they often work with the hardest to reach individuals with multiple barriers to employment, from family breakdown and young parenthood to lack of recent or relevant work experience. Their team strive to unlock capacity in young people, addressing client challenges holistically, empowering them to discover their passions rather than finding ‘any old job’, engaging employers along the way to ensure our young people are gaining the relevant skills and challenging employers to step up and play their part in building stronger communities around them.

Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive, ERSA, said:

“This year’s award submissions demonstrate the extraordinary achievements of individuals and organisations across the sector and our judges had an unenviable task shortlisting the best of the best in each category. Common to every nomination is the passion and commitment they show to supporting employability and transforming lives, communities and businesses. These awards celebrate and champion the best of the work that goes on at the frontline every day in the sector.”

Asi Panditharatna, Director of Apprenticeships and Employability, Catch22, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to be short listed for the second year in succession for this prestigious award. To be short listed again is testament to the hard work of our staff and the commitment from our funders, partners and employers. The young people we support have also shown great determination to succeed. They all deserve great praise and recognition of what they have achieved.”

About Catch22: Catch22 is a social business, a not for profit business with a social mission. For over 200 years we have designed and delivered services that build resilience and aspiration in people and communities. Our 1600 colleagues work at every stage of the social welfare cycle, supporting 40,000 individuals from cradle to career. Today we deliver apprenticeships and employability programmes, children’s social care, alternative education, justice and rehabilitation services, gangs intervention work, emotional wellbeing and substance misuse programmes.

In Apprenticeships and Employability, Catch22 delivers high quality and responsive apprenticeships and employability programmes that are relevant to the needs and aspirations of learners and job seekers, and that fulfil the requirements of employers.

Our vision is a strong society where everyone has a good place to live, a purpose and good people around them. We exist to ensure that these are achievable for everyone, no matter what their background. All of our work is underpinned by this vision for a public services system that is more human, unlocks the capacity in society, and champions local accountability.