We want to help young people from deprived and underprivileged backgrounds gain employment within the construction industry.
Think Big Academy C.I.C is a not-for-profit organisation working towards building a better future for younger individuals. Our ‘Choices’ project focuses on working closely with young individuals across the UK, providing them with a choice to train and develop within the construction industry. Our understanding of poverty, gang cultures and social situations is at the heart of everything we do. We understand how easy it is for young individuals to fall into such destructive lifestyles, with limited to no opportunity given to those who want to break free. Our programmes have already touched the lives of so many. Warise, a student we hope to secure an apprenticeship for is an example of this. His friend was stabbed and died at the age of 15 because he was heavily involved in gangs and crime. Warise thought he was next. This was, until Think Big Academy offered him the opportunity to learn new skills within the construction industry and the hope of being given an apprenticeship.
“My friend died, he got stabbed. I was there when he died, and he was only 15. A few years back I didn’t think I as going to do anything, I literally thought I was going to die by the time I was 20, 21. My mum didn’t think I was going to be around it was that bad. But now I’ve got a future.” – Warise
Our work focuses on working closely within the community to provide those most in need with apprenticeships and work opportunities. We are actively working with employers to promote fair pay for apprentices offering them wages based on the national minimum wage rather than the apprenticeship wage to ensure they walk the streets for the right reasons rather than to earn quick cash.
We need people all around the world to invest into our ‘choices’ programme so we can transform the lives of our future generation. But what’s in it for you? You will help us kickstart our ‘choices’ programme so we can help future generations gain employment within the construction industry – you will help us reduce crime rates in 16-24-year-olds across the UK and make sure they can have an equal opportunity at achieving a great career.
What will your money do?
We have already secured national contracts with large UK construction companies to provide practical work placements for student apprenticeships, however without the funds we cannot provide our service. Your funds will help us to deliver workshops to help target and engage these young individuals. It will provide them with the tools and equipment to learn a construction-based trade which their parents and themselves cannot afford. It will hep us pay for the apprentices training at specialist’s colleges that not only teach the students but support them in their every day lives. You will help us engage specialist support workers and assign mentors to support these young individuals on a daily basis, guiding them towards a better future, actively working to tackle the problems they face outside of college and work every day. You will help us employ dedicated community groups to actively work with those at need, finding them and guiding them towards the ‘choices’ programme, supporting them in making the right choice for their future.
£10,000 – will pay for one mentor and a community group to target one area of the UK, giving up to 5 students an apprenticeship
£20,000 – will pay for three mentors and two community groups to target two areas of the UK, giving up to 15 students apprenticeships.
£40,000 – will pay for 6 mentors and 4 community groups to target 4 areas of the UK, giving up to 40 students apprenticeships.
£60,000 – will pay for 12 mentors and 8 community groups to target 8 areas of the UK, giving up to 80 students apprenticeships.
This project closed unsuccessfully on 15th June 2018