N Brown Group инвестирует £20 000 в расширение программы трудоустройства для выпускников детских домов в Манчестере

N Brown Group, the inclusive fashion and homeware digital retail platform, today announced its renewed partnership with Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN), investing £20,000 to expand its Level Up programme, a tailored work-readiness programme supporting care leavers aged 16 to 25. Building on a successful pilot delivered in 2025, the second year of Level Up will support 14 Greater Manchester care leavers between October and December 2026, providing paid training, personalised work experience and one-on-one support to help participants move closer to employment, education or training. The Level Up pilot in 2025 supported nine young people and delivered more than 400 hours of paid training and work placements with employers across Greater Manchester. The experience has helped shape the second year of the programme, with earlier recruitment and matching, stronger preparation and additional practical support designed to help participants get the most from their opportunities. Participants will have access to a range of paid and practical opportunities shaped around their ambitions, circumstances and readiness for work. These will include work experience, workplace shadowing, volunteering, college tasters, CSCS training and support with job applications and future pathways. GMYN will also provide guidance for both young people and participating employers, helping to create the conditions needed for placements to succeed. Care leavers can face additional barriers when moving towards employment, including disrupted education, financial pressure, housing instability, mental health needs, low confidence and limited access to the informal networks that help many young people find opportunities. The pilot created practical opportunities for young people who can often be overlooked by mainstream routes into employment, while also helping N Brown, GMYN and participating employers better understand the support needed for placements to succeed. The success of the pilot was reflected in the progress made by participants, including Asmahan, who completed a four-week work experience placement with For Everyone Group. The placement enabled her to gain hands-on workplace experience, develop new skills and grow in confidence. Reflecting on the opportunity, Asmahan said: “I’m so happy that someone offered me work and I want to thank everyone involved for helping me feel comfortable and building up my skills. The number one thing for me was that when I started, I was nervous and struggling with what I was doing, and now I’m 100% confident. It was my first job and it really helped me to learn. Insights from the pilot and experiences like Asmahan’s have directly shaped and helped to evolve Level Up, with the programme evolving to provide more personalised opportunities and stronger support for both participants and employers. Dan Joy, CEO at N Brown, said: “We’re proud to continue our partnership with GMYN and support the next phase of Level Up. Championing inclusion is an important part of who we are at N Brown, and we believe everyone should have access to opportunities that help them build confidence, develop skills and reach their potential. The pilot demonstrated the difference that tailored, paid support can make to young people who may face additional barriers to employment. By investing again and expanding the programme in its second year, we hope to help more care leavers build confidence, gain valuable experience and take their next step towards work and future opportunities.” Alex Fairweather, founder and CEO of Greater Manchester Youth Network, said: “Level Up has shown that young people furthest from work do not lack ambition. The pilot gave us a much clearer understanding of what young people and employers need for placements to work well, and we’re putting that into practice as we develop the programme in its second year. We’re delighted that N Brown has chosen to invest again, allowing us to build a stronger, more personalised programme for Greater Manchester care leavers.” Tags: N Brown