Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Integration (CSI) partnerships between businesses and not-for-profit organisations like Proactive Young People C.I.C, are often considered to be one of the most effective ways of creating positive social change. Delivering a positive impact for young people by creating a programme of activity that furnishes them with the skills required to secure their next step on the education or employment ladder. You can help lead change, raise your company’s profile and help shape the future of thousands of students.

Corporate Social Integration

The pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis have also exposed – and exacerbated – foundational weaknesses in our society. Our education system is creaking in the fallout of the pandemic. The attainment gap has widened (gap between economically disadvantaged pupils and their peers).

Proactive Young People C.I.C, based in Rugby, is a youth focused charity putting local young people at the forefront of their mission. With the aim to support young people and adults between the ages of 11 and 25 into employment and employability skills, this Warwickshire based charity is protecting the future of the wider region.

With Covid-19 having a huge impact on unemployment rates across the UK, Proactive Young People C.I.C saw the vital support needed for young individuals to get back into work once restriction measures eased. Set up in June 2020 by co-founders Nicholas Brosnan and Samantha Fitzgerald, Proactive Young People C.I.C aims to support individuals back into work through employability skills training, work experience and mentorship and as a result, reduces the long lasting impacts of unemployment for individuals in our community.

With a high rate of youth unemployment, there can be severe long-term damage to local economy, communities and their residents. And with so much potential in our beautiful region, it’s no wonder Proactive Young People C.I.C are looking to support the growth and development of our youth.

Young people who find themselves out of education, training or employment for long periods are more likely to suffer from long term damage to their earning potential and their overall health. With individuals suffering with stress, helplessness, low self-worth and anxiety as a result of unemployment, Proactive Young People C.I.C is a vital resource for our youth to access work.

Nick and Sam work closely with their small team; to connect with schools, businesses and communities locally and nationally. Providing valuable support on CV writing, interview techniques, work experience and much more, the team utilises their own experiences to deliver exceptional training and advice.

Proactive Young People C.I.C are tackling the youth unemployment crisis head on. Their online portal lets you explore virtual work experience opportunities, video resources from over 200 business people, job descriptions, tasks, hints and tips to support you with your skills based training and help you gain employment.

There is evidence to suggest that young people who find themselves out of work for long periods will suffer a wage penalty, with earning potentials reduced by 13 to 21% by age 42. Working to prevent these kinds of discrepancies for the future of our society, this Rugby based charity provides support on a 1-2-1 basis all the way through to delivering to whole year groups within our local schools.

By providing support for SEND students, individuals who have disengaged with school or college, students studying their A Levels, T Levels, GCSE’s, adults and young people looking to join the workforce and more, Proactive Young People offer individuals the opportunity to engage with their future.

As well as connecting with local schools and business and facilitating work based training for students aged between 14 and 19, Proactive Young People bring local business owners and entrepreneurs into the learning environment. By bringing businesses and local entrepreneurs into the school setting, they can help to enrich the work related learning opportunities that are available to students. Actively welcoming volunteers to join them in their mission, Proactive Young People are supporting the school curriculum with work based skills and activities.

Reasons to build partnerships with social purpose

1. Reach Young People

Here at Proactive Young People annually we work with over three thousand work experience and T-level industry placement students and well over five thousand enterprise students.

Attract your future workforce. Build relationships with local school, their staff, students and parents.

2. Strengthen your own partnerships

In 'sponsorship' there is a term known as 'reflected glory'. This is when a sponsoring firm will align themselves with a cause or team to have the passion of the activity reflected positively upon their brand.

When entering a CSR program you can gain a reputation for becoming a successful cause related champion and as such your business partners can enjoy the reflected glory of your cause related work.

This can be appreciated as a free benefit, working alongside your business and drawing existing partners closer to your company. There might even be an appetite for having them join your support, thus further engaging the relationship.

Through this strengthening of ties, you might be able to reach into your current partners network opening up your business and cause related activities to this new market.

3. Attract business aligned with the cause

Businesses are run by people and CSR often connects with people on an emotional level. One of the great advantages of positive cause related activities is the ability to promote your brand/products and services to the marketplace interested in that cause.

Research shows us that people are choosing brands that have a friendly approach, with the largest generational group of consumers and quickest growing group of business owners; the Millennials, suggesting 6 out of 10 would be willing to take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible work force.

This same group are ardent users of social media which potentially would help take your CSR message to new, cause friendly, customers.

4. Cause partners

CSR activities and working directly with a not-for-profit creating a well publicised and supported cause can open you up directly to a warm marketplace of potential partners.

Not-for-profits will benefit from having a large number of commercial partners that will support by donating money, resources, staff time, access to marketplaces etc.

By joining the support for the cause your business may have the opportunity to be introduced directly to likeminded businesses that can potentially join your supply chain or even become a customer.

The strongest benefit of this is through the cause you'll either have several events or activities that you'll be able to be introduced directly to the prospect and have a common interest to get the conversation off on the right foot.

Proactive Partnership

There are many potential benefits to your organisation creating a CSR partnership with Proactive Young People, these include:

Creating positive change 
Hit your future employees
Building customer trust  
Positive business reputation
Stronger community relations 
Increased sales and customer loyalty
Differentiating your organisation from 
Talent attraction & employee relations competitors
Better brand recognition