the role of young people in the design and leadership of work-related learning a space unlimited event 6th May, House for an Art Lover, Glasgow
“I go to so many events where it’s all the adults talking, all the adults saying what works and what needs to change. It’s just so great to be able to meet with and talk with the young people themselves. To have them sit down next to you and say – not what the outcomes were supposed to be, or how well we hit them – but to say this is what I got out of it…for me.” Umar Ansari - Chief Executive, YCSA
Over the last five years Space Unlimited has worked with diverse groups of young people, aged between 12 and 25, on several youth-led enquiries focused on Work Related Learning. On May 6th we hosted a conversation involving young people from some of these different projects alongside a group of interested adults – educators, employability service providers and other representatives from the pubic and private sector. The aim was to share learning and consider how this might influence the design of work-related learning in the future.
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The discussion was lively. The young people were articulate about the experience of designing their own work-related learning. The adults stayed open and curious. Some clear themes emerged from the conversation: Equipped for work = comfort with uncertainty and change – and an openness to the knowledge and perspective of others, for adults and young people alike: “We’re all lifelong learners” “It’s okay to be uncertain” “Everything will change, and that’s a good thing, because so will you and the world” “Learning for life -> learn about yourself -> broaden the conversation” “Everybody needs help – no one has the whole picture” Space Unlimited’s youth-led enquiry approach enables young people to build valuable skills for the future: “I’m much more confident speaking in front of a group, or people I don’t know…if I hadn’t gone on this, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now” “…usually it’s just the popular or confident ones who contribute, while others just sit quiet. That used to be me, but not now, I speak now” “Look at the confidence and friends we’ve got doing this. And we’re thinking about the future” “It really boosted my confidence – I’m quite shy, but now I like to get my opinions out”
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Young people also remarked on the value of working as a self-directing team: “Learning about team-working early on is important – so that it just becomes normal” “Coming together with loads of people we didn’t know and having to work with them. It was so awkward to start with…But, when we started actually working together, on the stuff that mattered to us, to share with the guests who joined us, that’s when we got over it" “We came from different primary schools – it really helped us get to know one another – and now we’re good friends” Young people are keen to pass the experience on to others: “I’d definitely recommend it to younger kids, they need to do it, it’ll help them in their lives…Actually, we’re thinking of trying to start a club, which we’d run, about some of this stuff” “We got a pebble [of an idea] and now we need to turn it into a rock” “It’s important that more young people get this stuff” Young people recognise that it can be hard for people (of all ages) to ask for help when they need it: “Because you’re scared of being judged” “You don’t want people to think you are stupid” So they want to make it easier for their peers to ask for help…. “We’re advertising the [youth-led study support] club because we want people to know that asking for help is a good thing – not something to worry about” e: info@spaceunlimited.org
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Educators also value Space Unlimited’s youth-led enquiry approach…and are still grappling with how to make this sustainable: “The work has gone way beyond what I thought would be possible. When Gill [Space Unlimited] came to talk to me, I didn’t really understand what she wanted to do. It was such a blank canvas. But I quickly came to the realisation that the less I try to think this whole thing through to an outcome, the better it gets. So I stood back, and the pupils really took ownership. It saddens me, in a way that you can’t come back and do the whole thing again next year, but I suppose that’s part of the process – it will be up to us next year to take what we have learned and build on it” “There were wee moments of genius. I think sometimes when young people are asked ‘what do you want to do [when you grow up]?’ and they don’t know, it kind of puts them on the back foot. That insight has really influenced us as a school. There’s something simple and genius about getting feedback in this way.” “We’re now at the stage of moving from ideas to implementation and it’s hard. It’s difficult, there’s so much else going on. There’s no doubt their [the young people’s] ideas are good. But until the rest of the school see the ideas actually happen, it’s hard to get people to give up their time.”
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Personal connections to work-related learning As a part of the process we used insights from previous project participants as a way to help our guests connect personally to the idea of young people’s role in the design and leadership of work-related learning. A selection of the original insights and the guests’ reactions to them is captured below.
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At the closing of the event, we asked all the participants to reflect on what they had taken from the morning’s conversation, and we promised to share the answers they offered. The two questions were: •
What have you noticed about what matters to young people in workrelated learning?
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What have you learned about the role that young people can play in shaping work-related learning and how will that be useful to you?
The guest responses to these questions are captured below.
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Thanks for participating in the conversation with us on May 6th. Until next time… Space Unlimited work-related learning projects are continuing in a number of secondary schools: •
In South Lanarkshire on our ‘Early Experiences’ work is supporting young people at the start of their secondary education to shape learning experiences that will support them in their preparation for life and work.
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In Glasgow on our ‘Confident Transitions’ programme is supporting young people who are uncertain about their next steps after school to learn more about themselves, their passions and talents as they prepare for life after school.
Learning from the recent event on May 6th will shape the implementation of these projects, and the development of our work in the future. We hope that others who attended also took away some insights that are of use to them. Thank you for taking the time to join the conversation. If you’d like to continue it, please
don’t
hesitate
to
contact
us
on:
0141
424
1403
or
via
lucy@spaceunlimited.org
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Reg. Charity No: SCO37607
Reg. Company No: SC306061
with thanks to the funders of this event
space unlimited... it can change minds. Space Unlimited 42 Nithsdale Road Glasgow G41 2AN t: +44 (0) 141 424 1403 e: hello@spaceunlimited.org www.spaceunlimited.org