​What was New Directions?

New Directions supported young people aged 15 to 29 across Tees Valley who were not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET); by providing access to specialist employment support and a helping hand into education and training to help people move forward with their lives.
 

The New Directions project was delivered by Actes Trust in a unique partnership with Thirteen Group, Beyond Housing and New College Durham. Actes was responsible for delivery in the Middlesbrough and Stockton areas.
 

Who did it help?

The project helped NEET (not in employment, education or training) young people aged 15 – 29 by providing 1-2-1 support to overcome barriers that prevented them or made it difficult for them to access employment, education or training. This 1-2-1 support was tailored to the needs of the individual and covered career advice, employability skills support, mentoring and soft skill development to help young people secure employment or move into education or training.
 

What did it achieve?

Throughout the lifespan of the project, Actes Trust's New Directions delivery directly supported 1,138 participants, removed at least one barrier to employment, education or training for 945 participants and progressed 666 participants into employment, education or training (including 275 into employment).

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Actes Trust's delivery had a particularly strong impact in some of the most deprived wards in Middlesbrough.  From the nine wards ranked inside the top 100 most deprived nationally, we supported 478 participants, progressing 292 (61.1.%) participants into employment, education or training. In addition, we supported 279 long-term unemployed young people into employment, education or training (from a target of 119).

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You can read all about Actes Trust's New Directions programme in our evaluation below:​​​​​