29 - Young mums use their experiences to help others

 

Britt Jones (20) and Stacey Edwards (21) attended Dudley’s Teenage Pregnancy Partnership young parents support group as teenage mums twelve months ago.  Since then they have both trained as peer educators in sex and relationship education and gained an Open College Network (OCN) level two accreditation in youth work through Dudley Council’s youth service in house training programme.  Britt Jones is now in the process of gaining her level three youth work OCN and both have gained paid work as part time youth support workers. 

 

Stacey also volunteers at a youth club for autistic young people and Britt volunteers on the cyber bus youth facility in Stourbridge.  Britt also supports the running of the young parents support group in Brierley Hill, where she first attended as a young person three years ago, having left school with no formal qualifications. 

 

 

“Having worked with these young women I have been able to watch their confidence and ability grow.  They both felt inspired to undertake voluntary youth work and to use their experiences to help other young mums”.

 

 

“The education and training opportunities offered to part time and volunteer youth workers provide young people with the chance to gain qualifications which will undoubtedly support them in any future employment or further academic qualifications.  I am pleased these young women seized the opportunity to train and as a result have gained work within the youth service”.