Introduction
Jack was referred to YEP! (Youth Engagement Project) as a young man who had never worked. Despite achieving a Level 3 in Media Studies at college, at 23 he had no employment experience and didn’t believe he would ever find a job. Jack, who has autism and ADHD and held an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) throughout his education, spent most of his time at home gaming or watching YouTube.
YEP! partnered with The Education Business Partnership (EBP) and Real Ideas to explore opportunities for Jack, starting with the possibility of a supported internship—a government scheme designed to help young people with special educational needs gain employment.
Our Role
Real Ideas and EBP worked collaboratively to:
- Engage Jack in creative, confidence-building activities.
- Support him in developing practical skills and a strong CV.
- Facilitate connections with employers and provide ongoing coaching.
- Offer a safe, supportive space at Liskeard Library for Jack to meet his work coach and complete internship tasks.
What We Delivered
Jack embraced every challenge and quickly demonstrated his creativity:
- Content Creation Challenge: Produced branded social media assets using 360° cameras and Canva.
- Creative Writing: Crafted engaging posts showcasing programme highlights.
- CV Development: Updated his CV to reflect new skills and real-world experience gained through the Digital Natives course.
When EBP introduced Jack to Hertzian—a tech company offering internships—Real Ideas supported him and his father to attend an open day. Although Jack lacked web development skills for the advertised roles, Hertzian created a bespoke internship in their marketing department, leveraging Jack’s content creation talent.
Jack received a work computer (via YEP!) and continued to meet his work coach from United Response at Liskeard Library, while working remotely most of the week. This arrangement even paved the way for United Response to trial remote coaching—a first for them.
Impact
This multi-agency collaboration transformed Jack’s life:
- Secured a tailored internship at Hertzian in content marketing.
- Boosted confidence and independence—Jack now regularly visits the library, shops, and even enjoys lunch out.
- Demonstrated the power of public spaces like Liskeard Library in supporting community impact.
Jack says:
“Working in the Library is really supportive, especially for my ASD and ADHD. My work coach and my supervisor at Hertzian are very supportive and help me out a lot. It gets me out of the house… I started walking to the library, then going to the shop, and even popping into Wetherspoons for lunch.”
“[Working in the Library is] really supportive, especially for [my] ASD and ADHD. My work coach and my supervisor at [Hertzian] Player XP [...] are very supportive and they generally help me out a lot”.
Ed Hart, Venue and Partnership Lead at Liskeard Library, adds:
“Jack is an extremely talented young man with a brilliant way with words and good content creation skills. It has been a pleasure to work with him as he grows in confidence and discovers the rewards and realities of a modern workplace. This is a perfect example of how powerful public spaces can be when great work happens in them.”
"This has been one of the most satisfying pieces of multiagency support we have ever been involved with. To be able to see the role Liskeard Library has played throughout this journey is further evidence of how important spaces like this are in this world."
