Shoosmiths’ Birmingham office supports project helping young people with their professional development

The team at Shoosmiths’ Birmingham office are supporting local youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing them with a qualified mentor, as part of a Commonwealth Games Legacy Charity initiative delivered by Digbeth-based Sport 4 Life UK.

Shoosmiths has committed to a year-long partnership with the personal development charity, and is providing the funding for a professional mentor to work with a group of 15 young people in Birmingham’s most deprived neighbourhoods.

In an effort to improve social mobility, the mentor will help young people access genuine pathways to professional development. 

The principal beneficiaries of the scheme will be young people from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds, as data from the government’s Race Disparity Audit (2018) shows that 16- to 24-year-olds from ethnic groups were almost twice (23%) as likely to be unemployed as those classed as white British (12%).

Each year, Sport 4 Life UK works with around 2,000 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) between the ages of 11 and 29. 

Beth McArdle and Alex Bishop, co-heads of Shoosmiths’ Birmingham office, believe the partnership will improve the employability of young people in the city and increase confidence in their own abilities.

Beth McArdle said: “We’re extremely pleased to contribute to the physical and mental health of local young people through opportunities to be active and socialise, while learning skills that really enhance their professional development.”

Alex Bishop said: “It’s great to work with experts at Sport 4 Life UK who are making a fantastic difference to so many youngsters who might otherwise struggle to access openings that lead to meaningful employment and a better life.”

Rob Wells, Head of Business Development at Sport 4 Life UK, added: “Our employability mentors have a proven track record of lifting young people up and empowering them to gain a foothold on the career ladder and all the benefits that that brings. 

“So, we’re absolutely delighted to be able to announce this partnership with Shoosmiths, which will make a measurable impact on the lives of our beneficiaries and help us to reach more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Based at Digbeth’s Custard Factory, Sport 4 Life UK uses sport as a vehicle to achieve sustained education, training and employment outcomes for young people. Since its inception in 2006, it has grown into the leading sport-for-employability charity across the West Midlands, employing 24 full-time staff and meaningfully supporting over 2,000 young people towards better futures each year.

Sport4Life also has an Employability Programme for Young People, recognised by United By Birmingham 2022, which helps young people in Birmingham who are disadvantaged, at risk of being unemployed or who are NEET (not in education, employment or training).