Story: Streetworx The nationally-tested Young Advisors scheme is to be introduced into Burngreave by the Streetworx youth project. Young Advisors are young people who are trained to advise key organisations on how to make their policies ‘young people friendly.’
Streetworx, which is supported by Sheffield Futures and Burngreave New Deal for Communities, will recruit and train six young people aged 15 -21 who live in the Burngreave NDfC area.
Zain Abdulla, manager of the Streetworx project, said: “It is vital that information produced by public bodies is easily accessible and this project will do that for young people, who will have a really strong voice.”
The Young Advisors training has been designed by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), formerly The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). Young Advisors are paid a ‘respectful’ wage, the benchmark for which is £8 an hour, that recognises their unique insights as young people. Young Advisors work on average 4-6 hours a week.
The Young Advisors model was piloted in New Deal areas in Hull, Middlesbrough, Manchester and Brighton. There are now 18 schemes running in different parts of the country.
Young Advisors aim to ensure that key organisations such as local authorities and housing associations take account of the aspirations and needs of young people and check that young people are not being excluded.