A partnership between Yorkshire Building Society and food redistribution charity FareShare, which is available in London, has helped over 450 people across the UK improve their employability prospects in its first year, with 60 participants going on to secure paid employment.

Building Skills for the Future is a unique employability programme funded by Yorkshire Building Society and facilitated by FareShare’s network partners at locations across the UK, including London, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Bristol, Yorkshire, Merseyside and Edinburgh. The programme is designed to support, equip, and prepare people for employment through work experience, qualifications, and CV and interview skills workshops.

The Felix Project is FareShare’s network partner in London, supporting over 1,100 charities and schools with surplus food throughout the capital every year. Here, the Building Skills for the Future programme provides tailored support to local people in The Felix Project’s warehouses, providing health and safety and forklift driver training as well as employment experience. So far programmes have taken place at the South and East London depots, and young people also receive some experience in Felix’s Kitchen, the charity’s commercial kitchen.

Susan Allen, chief executive of Yorkshire Building Society said: “Our partnership with FareShare has been running for a year and we are already seeing positive results from the Building Skills for the Future programme.

Colleagues from Yorkshire Building Society have helped to raise £475,000 to support FareShare's Building Skills for the Future programme.

“We’re aiming to help lift people out of financial hardship by supporting them to develop skills to improve their employability. Those who take part in the programme gain valuable work experience and practice key skills like CV writing and interviewing.

“Already, 60 people who have completed the programme have gone on to paid employment, showing that investing time and knowledge can help people build the skills and confidence to change their lives. As a mutual, our purpose is to provide real help with real life, and the Building Skills for the Future programme is helping us to deliver that.”

Carl Hawkes, director of operations at FareShare said: “Building Skills for the Future programmes have been established across seven of our network partners thanks to the generosity of Yorkshire Building Society, its colleagues, and members. We are already starting to see positive results, with hundreds of people engaging with the programme, and many entering employment.

“Through our employability programmes we help people make the most of their strengths, overcome barriers to employment and create opportunities that can transform lives.

“Our partnership with Yorkshire Building Society will help thousands of people improve their skills, seek long-term employment, and help to lift them out of financial hardship.”

Yorkshire Building Society has already raised over £475,000 to fund the Building Skills for the Future programmes. The partnership will continue until June 2026 and the mutual aims to raise over £1million to fund the programmes, alongside an outreach programme offering free, face-to-face sessions and workshops building important skills such as job searching and improving financial wellbeing. I

t’s hoped that the two programmes will help 2,500 people improve their employability prospects and help them become more financially resilient.

For more information about the partnership between FareShare and Yorkshire Building Society visit www.ybs.co.uk/fareshare.

Hundreds helped by employability programme available in London