The Platform Project is extending its support to young people who are struggling to find work or are disadvantaged by their circumstances. 

The project is an enterprise business that supports people aged 13 to 21 by providing hands-on, practical work experience and training.

Based in Swindon, the initiative has received additional funding to help more people as the country begins to feel the full effects of the pandemic.



There are concerns that a ‘Covid-generation’ of young people will see high rates of youth unemployment which are predicted to exceed the levels seen in the early 1980s (Guardian Oct ’20).

The additional funding support for The Platform Project has enabled it to expand to support an additional 100 young people.

Founder, Sadie Sharp, said, “We have secured funding to offer more support during this time and we have also been able to reach out to schools to support them too. Some young people are already disadvantaged because they have not performed well in mainstream education, or their social circumstances have not allowed them to thrive when it comes to career choices, and now their options are even more limited. 

“With the devastating effect of the pandemic these young people are finding it even harder to transition into work and take their next steps in life, which can have a much longer lasting impact on mental health and future unemployment challenges. We are trying to scale-up as fast as possible to make sure we can do our bit to address the increasing need.”

As part of its expansion, the project will soon launch a recruitment drive for Kickstarter roles for young people aged 16-24. The six-month placements will give candidates the opportunity to gain experience in areas including administration, IT, marketing, sales, youth work and videography.

Sadie added, “This growth has enabled the project to expand our innovative youth enterprise model to offer more young people places on our internship programme.

“Young people aged 16-21 can do up to six months voluntary work experience within the project, rotating around different roles including a youth magazine and a digital media marketing agency. The practical, hands-on experiences help to build CVs and employability skills whilst providing candidates with the opportunity to try out different career roles, before being paired up with a mentor to help with their next steps.”

To fund this activity, the project has been given support from the National Lottery, Children In Need, the Wiltshire Community Foundation, the Social Enterprise Support Fund and the John Lewis Partnership amongst others.

To find out more, visit The Platform Project’s website or email info@PlatformProject.co.uk