Fairbridge Training: sharing our expertise

In March 2008, Fairbridge was awarded a grant of £3.8 million by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) as one of five ‘Pathfinder’ organisations identified as making a positive difference to the lives of young people, in particular the most disadvantaged.

Over the course of three years Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) funding is helping Fairbridge to grow in a sustainable way so that we can continue to reach out to some of the UK’s most vulnerable 13 – 25 year olds.

Fairbridge Training, our external training division, has also benefitted from YSDF funding over the past two years.

Set up in 2005 to provide training to youth sector professionals working with disengaged young people, Fairbridge Training has quickly established itself as a leading training provider.

Last year 90% of delegates said that Fairbridge Training courses were fully relevant to their needs and 72% of delegates said that their training aims were full met.

YSDF funding has enabled them to bring in three new full-time posts and several freelancer positions. Last year alone 80 training days were delivered in schools, statutory youth services and voluntary organisations.

Fairbridge Training has also begun to branch out into new delivery areas such as Leeds, York and Sheffield. They also specialise in delivering bespoke in-house training to large organisations such as Groundwork and PGL as well as local and police authorities including Northumbria and Bedfordshire police. One Groundwork Project Coordinator said that she found Fairbridge Training a “very engaging method of training” and that she now feels “much more confident to work with young people”.

Each Training course has its own ‘Toolkit’ providing background information about the subject, further theory, activities and programme and session plans. Take a look at the Fairbridge Training website, developed with YSDF funding and support, to find out more about the courses they deliver.

There is a huge range on offer; from 'Reality Therapy' (a highly interactive and widely applied technique for those working with young people or in self- development) to 'Working with Difficult Behaviour' (a one-day course that develops the skills and understanding of those working with young people).

Fairbridge has unrivalled experience of successfully engaging young people and Fairbridge Training provides an excellent way for us to share this knowledge and experience with other youth workers. Follow Fairbridge Training on Twitter to keep up with the latest news and courses and offers.

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