The Good Work Movement is a key element of the Bridge Institute’s Safe Life Mission. The purpose of the Safe Life Mission is to tackle violence affecting young people in London and providing more pathways to opportunity. The Good Work Movement brings employers, young people and delivery partners together to build better routes for young people into good work.
The Bridge Institute hosted a pilot event in April. This event brought together a diverse coalition of employers, public sector organisations, charities, community leaders, youth organisations and young people themselves. Two key insights emerged from the event. The first insight is that the appetite of employers to help young people is real: employers shared their best practices, left inspired and committed to adopting new practices, and some began opening up work experience for young peopleimmediately.
The second insight is that interest alone to support young people does not necessarily translate to opportunity. Employers are willing. What employers need is guidance through a complicated system - a sense of what good support looks like in reality, what they can realistically do, and how to take the next step forward without having to work it all out alone.
This is what the Bridge Institute is building next. We believe employers need the practical tools and support that will shift them from interest to action: a toolkit to navigate the system, connections to delivery partners, stronger links with schools, and encouraging recruitment approaches that recognise potential, not just credentials. The pilot proved the appetite and the possibility. The work now is to build the structure that turns them into real, consistent opportunities for young people.
We extend our sincere thanks to all those who contributed their time, insight and commitment to the pilot, including representatives from the Greater London Authority (GLA), London's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), Chemonics, EY Foundation, Youth Build Ventures UK, GoodWork, Retail Trust, Primark, Nisa Invest, King's Entrepreneurship Institute, Selfridges, Young Brent Foundation, Godwin Lawson Foundation, Informa, CFC, Practical Acts, Humans Who Dare, Citi, Bridging Barriers, AVIARD Inspires CIC, OAHA, Q5 and Youth Consults.
We look forward to working alongside partners across London to turn shared ambition into real opportunity for young people.
