Standing Out with Maverick Sounds
Towards the end of 2022 Suited for Success worked in partnership with Birmingham based Maverick Sounds to run a pilot employment project to engage with unemployed young people, to explore employment, skills and training aspirations using urban music production as an engagement tool.
Funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority Jobs and Skills Academy as part of the B2022 Commonwealth Games the aim of the pilot employment project was to engage with young people classed as hard-to-reach and at risk of involvement in crime, develop life skills, build connections and gaining knowledge that will help them move into employment or training.
Music and employment preparation
Over 3 weeks the project included a mix of interactive music workshops with employment preparation. Participants gained practical skills lyric writing, music production and engineering including several days at a professional music studio in Digbeth (A Class Studios), whilst exploring everything from barriers into work, confidence building, self-esteem and identity to mental health, being stereotyped, also social and presentation skills.
The days at Suited for Success included individualised employment support, one-to-one coaching, employment support and preparing for job interviews with the provision of a FREE interview suit.
The group wrote, produced and filmed videos for a two part track about the issues they felt they face being stereotyped, barriers they faced into employment and their future aspirations. Part 1 is a gritty track articulating what life is like for them on the streets now and Dark to Light Part 2 their future aspirations now being supported by our employment
project.
Taking Suited for Success into the heart of communities
We’re also looking forward to our new bus playing a big part in taking Suited for Success right into the heart of communities explore more ideas to engage with the unemployed working in partnership with grassroot charities, community groups and frontline services.
Really exciting plans ahead! Read more about our Suited for Success bus project
