the prince's trust - embracing opportunity

​You might have heard the Prince’s Trust’s name thrown about before, but who are they and what do they do?
 
According to their website, the Prince’s Trust is a charity set up by Prince Charles over 40 years ago with the mission ‘to help young people transform their lives by developing the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn.’. 
 
The charity helps school leavers and young people to develop their soft skills, get additional training and provides tips and resources on getting a job. For the budding entrepreneurs among us, they also offer training, mentoring and funding to help you start your own business.

You might be thinking: great, but I want to do X, Y and Z – they’ll never help me with that. Give them a try. TV magician, Dynamo (real name Steven Frayne), thought the same when he approached the Prince’s Trust for training and a grant to start his career from a disadvantaged background.
 
Now his dream is a reality, and he’s even become an ambassador for the Trust, regularly speaking out about the great work they do.
 
“They don't judge,” Dynamo says, “they listen. Their programmes help unemployed young people to overcome their issues and barriers - everything from stress and depression to abuse and homelessness. Above all, they help them to get a job, to work towards a future for themselves and their families.” 
 
So, how do they help? They run programmes in three areas:

• Enterprise
• Getting a job

• Building your confidence

 
These programmes cover a broad spectrum, and are a great stepping-stone towards a rewarding future.
 
The Trust offers entrepreneurial short courses to kick-start your business, including the creation of a business plan with the support of a mentor. 

They run programmes specifically to help 16-30 year olds get into the job market, working with employers like M&S, HSBC and the NHS, and careers advice experts from ASOS, Sony and the Premier League. 
 
If confidence is your problem, the Trust has loads of great initiatives to get you involved in your local community, and build your network.
 
Their 12-week Team programme gets you involved in a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ community project which will help you make ‘a positive difference to the place you live’, involving a residential trip, two weeks of work experience and a boost to your English and Maths skills.
 
Think this sounds pretty great, but want to know how other young people have found the experience? Radio 1’s Newsbeat team interviewed Cardiff native Jordan, who left school at 16 and has recently become involved with the Prince’s Trust. 
 
In the interview, Jordan talks of how she dreamed of being a carer, but didn’t have the confidence to tackle the challenge before joining a Prince’s Trust skills development scheme.
 
Want to watch the interview and get a better idea of the Prince’s Trust experience? Head to the BBC website here. 

Author

LUCY HARDING is an English Literature grad and an MA Publishing student at UCL. She is passionate about international relations and cultural diversity, having worked closely with her university’s Erasmus society to support European students. She also spent a year abroad studying at California State University: Long Beach