An empowering employment initiative has achieved outstanding results in supporting care-experienced young people across the Midlands, delivering more than 1,000 hours of hands-on employment-based learning and achieving an impressive completion rate. 

The programme, spearheaded by Severn Trent, with the aid of Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland NHS, and supported by the Care Leavers Covenant, brought together major employers from across the Midlands such as Birmingham Airport, NEC, E.ON, Novotel, Ibis, Dodd Group, Kier, Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland NHS, Derby & Derbyshire NHS, Pertemps and Wincanton. 

It has been hailed as an example of what can be achieved when organisations unite to create real opportunities for young people. 

A total of 38 young people started on the programmes with 33 completing and gaining more than 1,000 hours of work experience between them all. They all now have access to a mentor for the next year to support them with their next step. 

Together the organisations offered tailored placements designed to break down barriers and provide meaningful access to the world of work. These placements provided not only practical experience but also mentorship, confidence-building, and a vital sense of connection to the workforce. 

Following the programme's success, Severn Trent has committed to creating 400 work experience placements over the next four years in the Midlands for care leavers.

 Alysha Zimmer, Work Experience and Employability Programme Manager at Severn Trent, said: “These placements have opened doors for young people, and the feedback from both those who took part and employers has been overwhelmingly positive. We believe we have a role to play in making sure we’re moving barriers and creating opportunities, so we’re proud to come together to make a positive impact and create pathways to jobs.”   

The Midlands faces some of the highest youth unemployment rates in the UK and this programme represented a place-based solution, creating regional hubs that connect care leavers with employers, supported by local councils, St Basils, and The Shaw Trust. 

This initiative is part of Severn Trent’s broader commitment to help 100,000 people reach their potential in the Midlands.  

The Midlands Employer Alliance, now over 20 businesses strong, continues to champion good jobs removing barriers to work for society’s most marginalised groups, including ex-offenders, those with disabilities —with Severn Trent leading the care leavers workstream. 

Liz Sahu, lead for the NHS LLR Universal Family Programme, said: “Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland (LLR) NHS are very pleased to be collaborating with Severn Trent Water and other midlands employers in creating career opportunities for care experienced young people. This is our second year running our Universal Family programme for care experienced young people and we are keen to engage with as many LLR businesses as possible in order to offer as many opportunities as we can.” 

Vanessa Di Cuffa, Chief People Officer at the NEC Group, said: “At the NEC Group, we’re passionate about inspiring the next generation to see the events industry as a place where they can thrive. Being part of this initiative with our partners CBRE and OCS for the second year running has been incredibly rewarding. 

"Not only have we seen the impact it has had on the young people involved, but it has also brought fresh perspectives to our teams. We’re proud to stand alongside other Midland's employers in creating meaningful pathways into work for care-experienced young people, and we remain committed to opening doors and building futures.” 

Susan Spray, Careers and Anchor Lead for the Derby and Derbyshire ICS, said: “We are really pleased to be partnering in this scheme for the first time this year. The organisations involved have all been very proactive in seeing how we can best provide opportunities to young people who need a bit of support in finding work and making their way in life. It is great to be able to help our care experienced community in this way, and by doing so in future schemes, we aim to increase the number of placements and ultimately improve the care we can provide by filling critical workforce vacancies.” 

Antoinette Farrell-Jones, Director of People at Birmingham Airport said: “As a key employer of the Midlands, we’re committed to providing opportunities for our local communities and that includes playing our part in bridging the employment gap for our region’s young people. We recognise that young care experienced adults face unique barriers to employment, and we also acknowledge the inherent value of early meaningful workplace experiences, which can help shape fruitful careers.  

“With this in mind, we were pleased to host six extraordinarily promising young care leavers for a tailored work experience placement at Birmingham Airport. It was an absolute pleasure to witness first-hand the personal growth and development of our cohort across the two weeks and I’m confident that their professional futures will be bright, whether that’s within a role here at the airport or elsewhere in the region. We thank all our partners at the West Midlands Employer Alliance for their assistance with this incredible initiative and we look forward to continuing to work together to enhance employment prospects in the West Midlands.”  

Cayleigh Marshall, Social Value Manager at E.ON, said: “As part of our Strategic Energy Partnership with Coventry City Council, we’ve been proud to align our efforts to create real opportunities for care experienced young people.  

“At E.ON, we’re committed to supporting initiatives that offer meaningful exposure to the workplace, and recently, as part of this wider programme, I led a two-week work experience initiative for care leavers in the city, a group that often faces significant barriers to employment or education. 

“We designed a hands-on programme that included placements in green energy, employability workshops, confidence building sessions, and practical technical training. Hosting these individuals not only gave them the chance to explore their potential, but also brought fresh energy and valuable new perspectives to our teams. 

“Seeing the positive impact of the programme and knowing we’ve helped open doors for young people who need it most has been incredibly rewarding. We’re excited to keep building on this work and continue supporting care leavers into brighter futures.” 

The alliance is calling on more Midlands-based businesses to get involved. Whether by hosting placements, offering employability training, or partnering with others, there are many ways to contribute to a more inclusive and economically vibrant region.