More than 60 representatives from across the Steve Morgan Foundation region attended a roundtable event hosted by the Foundation, placing the spotlight on building connected pathways to participation, opportunity and sustained work.
The Progress Exchange brought together employers, practitioners, policymakers, funders and delivery organisations to discuss the reality of the pathways into employment, particularly for those aged 16-24 years old.
The event generated a series of propositions for participants and the Foundation to test and develop in response to the underlying issues identified. Click here for a copy of the paper that informed the discussions.
Propositions for further exploration included putting young people’s voices at the centre of mapping and improving early intervention; developing place-based hubs that bring advice and support under one roof and are shaped with communities; and building shared accountability across partners.
Summarising the event, Paul O’Neill, Deputy CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation, said:
“Those attending the event created thought-provoking propositions on how we improve pathways for people, and collectively, how we action that.
“We’ll be feeding the insights taken from the session back into our funding, convening and influencing work to ensure this isn’t just talk. There will be accountability back to participants, so we see real action and change happen to benefit those living in our communities.
“The challenge now for us and those attending the Progress Exchange is not what was said in the room, but what changes afterwards.”
The event was held at Anfield Stadium on Thursday 22 October and is the first in a series of focused roundtables to be hosted by the Steve Morgan Foundation across its region. Participants will be brought back together in 2027 to review progress, share learning and maintain accountability for what happens next.
We will be producing a follow-up paper with the key discussion points and outputs from the Progress Exchange. You can request a copy of the paper here.
