Here's how you can get involved...
Earlier on this year, in the midst of the pandemic, Notts-based company Collaborative Future launched a transformational work placement programme bringing unemployed and underemployed young people, small businesses and freelancers together to work and learn. Building on the success of their 2020 programme, the team are now relaunching an even bigger and better version of it for 2021 – and applications to be a part of it are open now.
Tess Cooper, the Founder of Collaborative Future says: "We need to completely reimagine the world of work to really empower people, and the small businesses and young people we work with are the ones rewriting the rules. Through our programme we are creating new ways of working that will lead to a more resilient and inclusive economy."
Starting in January, and running entirely remotely for 6 months, the Collaborative Future team will again create a thriving creative community, this time by bringing together 10 diverse young people with 20 business owners.
The programme had the dual purpose of providing meaningful, fairly paid work opportunities to young people, and offering small and micro businesses access to diverse talent in order to grow sustainably.
Unlike traditional employability schemes, Collaborative Future centres around creating flexibility and amplifying people's unique individuality – something that is really forward thinking in the modern way of working we now are living in. Their approach creates a mutually beneficial relationship for businesses and interns alike, and providing such opportunities enables individuals to create lasting connections.
If you’re a youth in the city thinking this sounds up your street, get on applying – the deadline is 5pm Wednesday 23 December, so you have plenty of time to sort it. Intern applications are open to those aged 18-24 who are not in full time education or employment. The deadline for businesses to get involved has now passed, but if you’re a business owner who still wants to, just drop them an email. Positive flexibility is definitely the future of working, and if you want to be part of that, this is the scheme for you.
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