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Last updated: 14 July 2009
7 July 2009
Angela Smith
Thank you, it is great to see so many people here.
Well, I really just want to say what a fantastic initiative Transitions: from Care to Work is. I am incredibly impressed by, and proud of, the remarkable work of everyone involved, and the way people have come together to address a very serious issue. This was a measure announced in the government’s White Paper, New Opportunities: Fair Chances for the Future, and is part of Government’s broader goal of giving every young person the skills and work experience they need to make their way in the world. This programme can make a significant contribution to our work on tackling social exclusion. It’s one of the most rewarding moments in government to see plans come to fruition. Particularly so quickly and so well. So I really want to extend my thanks to everyone involved:
We’re all familiar with the statistics in this document, some of which can be a bit disheartening, but today is about change. Today is about hope, and determination, and not just overcoming the odds, but changing the odds.
I think the sub-title says it all: ‘creating opportunities and raising aspirations’. This is a way to provide young people leaving care with opportunities they may not otherwise have received; but it is also a way to change perspectives – both theirs and the outside world’s. It’s a way to raise their aspirations and their expectations; to remind young people that they deserve every chance to get ahead in life and make their mark.
Delyth spoke about the challenges young people in care face leaving care. And if you take a quick survey, there is certainly a precedent for people who have been in care making a real impact on the world around them. Some of our most talented artists and performers:
And some of our most beloved international icons were brought up in care:
So were
the founders of the Big Issue and Dominoes Pizza, respectively. The business representatives here should take note – you might just wind up employing the next force behind a media or business empire. There are many benefits to participation.
The key thing for me is that Transitions is not just good for the young people receiving help, it’s good for the nation. These are tough economic times and if we are to come out of them stronger, we all need the skills of this generation of young people; we are all depending on them.
This programme is not only an investment in these young people’s futures, it’s an investment in our own.
This is a real example of the power of collaborative working – people have come together across departments, agencies and third sector organisations, with the help of Local Authorities and business, to create something profoundly important. There have been no egos, no territorial markings. Just dedicated work and true professionalism and the desire to make it happen. It’s a model of true cooperation.
And it is a reflection of what we hold to be important. In this room today, we have representatives from the public, private and third sectors; though different in many ways, we are drawn together by the unifying goals of fairness and equality.
One objective you can say you’ve achieved in your life is to say you made a difference, and for all the people involved in this project, they can say they have made a difference.
And although I am new to this post, I am proud to be associated with this initiative, for the work that went into it, for the impact it will have and for the lives it will change.
Thank you.