A new employability scheme is being launched by the EY Foundation and the Security Institute. Their aim, to help break down barriers to employment for less advantaged young people wanting to start a career within security. The EY Foundation already works as a social mobility charity and this expands on the Institute’s #NextGen initiative.
The ‘Secure Futures’ will support some 27 teenagers aged 16 to 18, from low-income backgrounds to gain security industry experience, for them to consider pursuing careers working within the sector. The scheme will be delivered virtually from February.
This is the EY Foundation’s first multi-employer collaboration, and thanks to the support of sponsors, various firms and other bodies will provide the young people with paid work experience, opportunities to gain skills and mentoring.
The EY Foundation’s CEO, Maryanne Matthews’ said: “We are delighted to be working with the Security Institute and SIA on our first cross sector collaboration, bringing together businesses and industry bodies from across the sector to ensure the young people we support gain relevant skills and experience to access the jobs of the future in such an important and growing sector”.
Paul Barnard CSyP MSyI, Director of Youth Engagement at the Institute, pictured, said: ‘We are pleased to be partnering with the EY Foundation to launch ‘Secure Futures’ Programme, which will make the security sector more accessible and attractive for young people. Young people are an essential component of our workforce. They offer a fresh perspective and insights that can inform innovative solutions to long-standing issues. There are so many areas of security that the younger generation can provide invaluable contributions, from the issues surrounding knife crime to emerging cyber-security threats. We need to embrace young people and help nurture their skills, to help secure the sector’s future prospects.’
Nathan Salmon, the SIA’s Criminal Investigations Manager said: “In recent years, the SIA has focused on investing confiscated funds (under the Proceeds of Crime Act) in skills and professionalism across the private security industry, particularly which opens career opportunities for young people . It is no surprise then that we have contributed to Secure Futures. This is an exciting partnership that will benefit young people, linking them with businesses within our industry. This is a great initiative which will support the industry’s next generation and we look forward to seeing the innovation and energy from all the young people taking part.”
Find out more about careers in security: https://security-institute.org/about/nextgen/.
Sponsors for the ‘Secure Futures’ Programme were: the London-based guarding firm CIS Security; City of London Crime Prevention Association; guard firms ICTS UK, Ward Security and Wilson James; exhibition firm Nineteen Group; the Security Industry Authority (SIA); the info-security forum SASIG; The Walt Disney Company Global Security EMEA; and the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals.
