Reaching the Hardest to Reach: YouthStart’s Impact on Northern Ireland’s Most Vulnerable Young People

One of the most persistent challenges in the employment and skills programs across Northern Ireland has been effectively engaging and supporting young people who face the most complex barriers to economic participation. Traditional mainstream provision often struggles to connect with these individuals, let alone create sustainable pathways to employment or education.

The YouthStart partnership, bringing together seven leading youth work organisations, has developed an approach that is demonstrating remarkable success in reaching precisely those young people who have fallen through the gaps in other systems. By examining who these young people are, the specific barriers they face, and how YouthStart addresses these challenges, we can better understand the unique contribution of youth work to Northern Ireland’s skills ecosystem.

Who Are Northern Ireland’s Most Vulnerable Young People?

The young people engaged by YouthStart represent those furthest from the labour market, facing multiple and often complex barriers to economic participation:

Young people with experiences of care who often lack family support networks and face disrupted education
Refugees and asylum seekers navigating cultural and language barriers alongside legal uncertainty
Young people with disabilities and mental health challenges who require tailored support to access opportunities
Young people in rural communities isolated by geography and limited transport infrastructure
Young parents balancing childcare responsibilities with limited access to affordable childcare
Young people involved with the justice system working to overcome past convictions
Those who have disengaged from formal education with few or no qualifications
Young people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity
Those from communities with intergenerational unemployment where worklessness has become engrained

YouthStart has demonstrated particular success in reaching young people who face intersecting disadvantages across these categories, creating pathways for those whom other services have often categorised as “hard to reach” or, in some cases, as “unemployable.”

Understanding the Complexity of Barriers

The young people supported by YouthStart face barriers that go far beyond simple skills deficits or lack of qualifications. Their journeys into work must address complex and interrelated challenges:

Personal Barriers

Mental health issues: Many participants struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental health challenges
Low self-confidence and self-esteem: Often resulting from negative experiences in education or previous rejection
Substance misuse issues: Which may require ongoing support during employment transitions
Lack of stable routine: Many young people lack the structured daily patterns needed for work

Practical Barriers

Housing insecurity: Without stable accommodation, maintaining other aspects of life becomes challenging
Financial barriers: Including debt, lack of funds for transport or appropriate clothing for interviews
Digital exclusion: Limited access to technology or connectivity for job searching and applications
Transport limitations: Particularly in rural areas where public transport is limited

Structural Barriers

Discrimination: Including prejudice based on address, background, or other factors
Limited local opportunities: Especially in areas of high deprivation
Lack of affordable childcare: Particularly impacting young parents
Qualification requirements: Formal entry requirements that may exclude those with disrupted education

YouthStart’s approach recognizes that these barriers cannot be addressed in isolation. A young person experiencing housing insecurity, for example, is unlikely to successfully focus on employment skills until their basic needs for shelter are addressed.

Case Studies: Lives Transformed

The impact of YouthStart’s approach is perhaps best illustrated through the journeys of individual young people:

IH’s Journey: From Asylum Seeker to Employment

IH arrived in Northern Ireland as an unaccompanied minor from Somalia. Despite having good spoken English, he needed support with written English and faced significant barriers as an asylum seeker with little support outside of YouthStart. Through Include Youth’s YouthStart – Give & Take programme, IH received tailored support to develop his education and employment prospects. With help to complete applications and prepare for interviews, he successfully gained employment at the Bullitt Hotel in Belfast. While this is a temporary position while he completes his qualifications, it represents a critical first step on his journey to economic independence and integration.

Danny’s Story: Overcoming Rural Isolation

At 17, Danny faced multiple challenges living in Dromore, an isolated rural area in County Tyrone with poor public transport links. Struggling with school attendance and exam pressures, he became disengaged from education. A strained relationship with his mother and the need for supported accommodation compounded his sense of isolation and uncertainty about the future. Through YouthStart, Danny received one-to-one mentoring focused on improving his mental health and reducing his sense of isolation. He completed an OCNNI Level 2 Sports Development and Volunteering qualification and was selected to participate in an international Youth Symposium in Belgium. From being a shy young man with low confidence, Danny has transformed into a confident individual with clear aspirations, now enrolled in a Health & Social Care course at his local FE College and volunteering with his local football club.

Becky’s Journey: Mental Health to Career Development

Becky, a 21-year-old from North Belfast, had to leave school at 14 due to mental ill-health, completing her education at the Belfast Hospital School. Prior to YouthStart, she had experienced short-term employment but had to give it up due to her mental health struggles. YouthStart provided the one-to-one support she needed, with a youth worker who helped her set small, achievable goals. This personalized approach helped her build confidence and step outside her comfort zone. Becky has now secured employment in health and social care, describing YouthStart as “the light at the end of the tunnel for me, it was what I needed when I felt lost and didn’t know what to do.”

Lauren’s Transformation: From Crisis to Confidence

At 21, Lauren had experienced significant challenges, including family disruption due to her mother’s alcoholism and her own mental health crisis that led to hospitalization. Despite achieving GCSEs and starting A levels, her mental health deteriorated, and she spent much of her time isolated in her room. YouthStart provided crucial one-to-one support, with youth workers who maintained contact even when she didn’t show up, inviting her for informal chats. This persistent, non-judgmental approach helped Lauren build confidence and motivation. She has now gained qualifications in Youth Work and First Aid and is building volunteering experience toward her goal of working with young people who have experienced similar challenges. Lauren reflects: “I literally stayed in my room for two years and I never thought the day would come when I would be fending for myself and coming to a group like this.”

Distinctive Approaches for Complex Needs

YouthStart’s success with these vulnerable young people stems from several distinctive features of their youth work approach:

Flexible and Persistent Engagement

YouthStart workers demonstrate exceptional flexibility in how they initially connect with young people:

Meeting young people where they are: Physically and emotionally, including in their homes, community settings, or online
Persistence without pressure: Maintaining contact and offering opportunities without creating additional stress
Relationship-based recruitment: Using existing relationships and trusted referral partners to connect with isolated young people
Removing practical barriers: Providing transport, food, and other practical support to enable participation

As one youth worker described their approach with a young person: “In the first few months I travelled to Fivemiletown to meet Alex in his mum’s home, a place I believed he would feel safe. Alex trusted in me and he knew I was there for him and he didn’t have to make an appointment like other services. He knew he could simply drop me a message or give me a call or drop in to see me. I became a constant in his life and someone he could trust to support him and guide him to other relevant support.”

Holistic Support Addressing Multiple Needs

Rather than focusing narrowly on employability, YouthStart provides comprehensive support:

Addressing basic needs first: Including housing, food security, and health
Mental health and wellbeing support: Through both in-house expertise and connections to specialist services
Family and relationship support: Recognizing the importance of stable support networks
Practical life skills development: From budgeting to cooking and independent living skills

This holistic approach means that barriers to employment are addressed systematically rather than in isolation. For young people with multiple, complex needs, this integrated approach is essential for sustainable progress.

Small Group Sizes and Individualized Support

The programme maintains small group sizes that allow for individualized attention:

Low staff-to-participant ratios: Enabling meaningful relationships and personalized support
Tailored learning and development plans: Based on individual needs, interests, and aspirations
Mixed delivery methods: Combining one-to-one mentoring with small group activities
Adaptive pacing: Allowing young people to progress at a speed appropriate to their circumstances

One participant highlighted this benefit: “This is the first group I’ve been in where I’ve talked to people. The group was small which meant I could share.”

Long-term, Relationship-based Support

Perhaps most distinctively, YouthStart offers relationship-based support that continues beyond formal programme completion:

No arbitrary time limits: Support continues based on need rather than predetermined timeframes
Post-programme engagement: Continued contact and support during transitions to work or education
Celebration of progress: Recognition of achievements builds confidence and motivation
Graduated independence: Support gradually reduces as young people build capacity and confidence

Comparative Advantage and Value for Money

When compared with mainstream provision, YouthStart demonstrates significant advantages in reaching and supporting the most vulnerable young people:

Engagement and Retention

Traditional employability programmes often struggle with initial engagement and retention of vulnerable young people. YouthStart’s engagement rates demonstrate the effectiveness of their approach, with:

2,387 young people engaged and supported across the seven partner organizations, exceeding the original target by 109
High retention rates even among those with previous histories of disengagement
Successful engagement of young people from traditionally underserved communities and demographics

Progression Outcomes

The progression outcomes achieved by YouthStart are particularly impressive given the distance that many participants need to travel on their journey to economic inclusion:

513 young people progressed into work (exceeding the target of 326 by 187)
1,005 young people progressed into further training or education (exceeding the target of 714 by 291)
A total progression rate of 64% into either employment or education/training

These outcomes represent significant success with young people who, in many cases, had been written off by other systems as “hard to help” or “not ready” for mainstream provision.

Value for Money and Social Return

The YouthStart approach delivers exceptional value for money, particularly when considering the full social return on investment:

The pilot project delivered a unit cost of £2,111 per participant, well below the projected cost of £2,500
The consortium approach allows for sharing of resources, specialisms, and expertise
Long-term savings across multiple public services result from successful intervention, including:

Reduced welfare dependency
Decreased pressure on mental health services
Lower involvement with justice systems
Improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs
Intergenerational benefits breaking cycles of worklessness

Addressing Regional Disparities and Inequalities

Northern Ireland faces significant regional disparities in opportunity, with some areas experiencing persistently higher rates of economic inactivity and youth disengagement. YouthStart’s partnership model enables effective coverage across diverse communities:

Geographical Access

The seven-organization partnership ensures comprehensive geographical coverage:

Urban reach: Effective presence in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry where concentrated disadvantage exists
Rural access: Services reaching isolated rural communities where transport and opportunity are limited
Local knowledge: Each partner brings deep understanding of local contexts and challenges
Flexible delivery locations: Services provided in accessible community venues rather than centralized offices

Community-specific Approaches

The partnership enables culturally appropriate approaches for different communities:

Refugee and asylum seeker support: Specialized approaches for young people navigating complex immigration systems
Post-conflict communities: Understanding of divided community contexts and cross-community work
Gender-specific programming: Tailored approaches for young women, particularly young mothers
LGBTQ+ inclusive practice: Safe spaces for young people exploring identity and facing discrimination

Conclusion: The Case for Sustained Investment

The evidence of YouthStart’s impact with Northern Ireland’s most vulnerable young people makes a compelling case for sustained investment in youth work approaches to economic inclusion. The programme demonstrates that with the right support, young people facing the most complex barriers can progress toward economic participation and independence.

As one participant powerfully stated: “YouthStart gave me my life back and a chance to have a better future.”

This is not just a benefit to the individual young person but represents significant value to Northern Ireland’s economy and society. By reaching those who are traditionally hardest to engage, YouthStart addresses entrenched disadvantage and contributes to a more inclusive economy where talent is not wasted and potential is recognized regardless of background or circumstance.

Looking to the Future: Recommendations for UKSPF

As the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) develops its strategy for supporting economic inclusion in Northern Ireland, YouthStart advocates for four key recommendations based on its evidence of impact:

Broad definition of economic inactivity – UKSPF should adopt an inclusive definition that encompasses those not in education, training, or employment, enabling more comprehensive support programmes.
Recognition of youth work as a key fourth strand—Youth work organisations should be formally recognised as a complementary strand alongside schools, colleges, and training organisations, particularly effective for the hardest-to-reach young people.
Defined relationships with Labour Market Partnerships – Clearer frameworks would enable youth work organisations to support councils in improving economic activity rates in their areas.
Regional and local delivery capacity—Maintaining the ability to work across Northern Ireland while providing locally tailored support ensures equal opportunities for all young people.

By incorporating these recommendations, the UKSPF can build on the proven success of the youth work approach pioneered by YouthStart, ensuring that young people furthest from the labour market are not left behind in Northern Ireland’s economic future.

The YouthStart model demonstrates that even the most disengaged young people can find pathways to employment, education, and a more positive future with the right approach. As one participant succinctly said, “This programme is a lifeline to young people. It has changed people’s lives.”

If you want to read more about Youth Start, review any of our partner’s sites:

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