A Year of Research Ends at Westminster
One of the ambitions we had when establishing the Tees Maritime Youth Board was to make sure young people’s views didn’t just stay in the room.
Over the past year, the group has been exploring one of the biggest challenges facing our sector: how do we attract, recruit and retain the next generation?
They’ve spoken to employers, challenged each other, carried out research and presented their findings to industry at a roundtable hosted at the Port of Middlesbrough. The discussion helped test their recommendations, giving businesses the opportunity to respond and share their own experiences before the next stage of the project.
That next stage took us to Westminster.
Our Youth Board travelled to Parliament to meet Catherine McKinnell MP, Minister for School Standards, and Jonathan Brash MP to discuss the findings from the project and the challenges young people face when moving from education into employment.
For many of the group, it was their first visit to Parliament.
Alongside the meetings, they had the chance to explore one of the country’s most iconic buildings, learning about its history, standing where major moments in British history unfolded and, of course, hearing the story behind Big Ben.
Even there, Teesside wasn’t far away.
The famous bell was cast in Stockton before being shipped from Hartlepool, a reminder that our region has long played a part in projects of national significance.
The highlight of the day, though, wasn’t the history.
It was watching the Youth Board confidently talk about an issue they’ve spent the last twelve months researching.
The conversations were thoughtful, informed and, most importantly, grounded in real experiences. They weren’t speaking on behalf of an organisation. They were speaking on behalf of a generation.
As we left Westminster, one Youth Board member summed the day up perfectly.
“I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life.”
So will we.
Projects like this don’t happen by accident. They happen because businesses are prepared to invest their time, members choose to support initiatives that develop future talent and partners are willing to create opportunities that many young people would never otherwise experience.
The visit to Parliament marks the end of this stage of the project, but not the end of the work.
The findings will now be brought together into a practical framework for employers, capturing what the Youth Board has learned over the past year and providing organisations with practical recommendations to help attract, recruit and retain the next generation.
That’s what this project has always been about.
Not simply giving young people a voice, but making sure it is heard.
LinkedIn post from Ella, Youth Board member:
“Yesterday, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Parliament with the Tees Maritime Youth Board and it was an experience I’ll never forget.
It was inspiring to hear the thoughts, ideas and experiences of other Youth Board members, while also listening to MPs discuss how they can influence change and shape opportunities for young people. Having our voices heard by those in positions to make a real difference was both empowering and motivating.
A huge thank you to Jo Vinton-Bullwinkel and Rylie Sweeney for making this opportunity possible and for all the hard work that went into organising such a memorable day. I’m so grateful to have been part of it and to represent the voices of young people in the Tees region.
Experiences like this remind me just how important it is to ensure young people’s perspectives are listened to and valued. Thank you again for such an unforgettable day!”