Setting up future success for young people through coaching sessions with Co-op

Co-op collaborated with Capgemini and the Peer Action Collective (PAC) to empower young people impacted by violence through a series of coaching and career skills sessions

Client Challenges

Co-op wanted to support young people impacted by violence on a long-term programme by equipping them with the confidence, knowledge, and skills awareness to kickstart meaningful employment opportunities.

Solution

Capgemini partnered with the Co-op to develop and run a total of five co-designed career sessions for young people, as part of the Peer Action Collective (PAC).

Benefits

• Small group coaching and upskilling across five career sessions
• Pathway to employment and long-term success for young people
• High levels of attendance and positive engagement from 30 young people
• Strong foundation for ongoing partnership between Capgemini, Co-op, and the PAC to deliver future sessions for wider social impact

Empowering youth to lead safer communities

PAC is a ground-breaking network of Peer Researchers, Social Action Leads, and Changemakers. Young people with lived experience of violence find out what needs to happen to make their area a better place to live and turn these insights into action. From influencing school practises, to improving local mental health services, co-producing violence reduction strategies or supporting more young people into employment – together, they are ensuring that young voices respond to issues that directly affect them.

As an intrinsically social value minded organisation, Capgemini partnered with the Co-op and PAC to empower young people and strengthen their access to future career opportunities. Capgemini and Co-op delivered five co-designed career sessions aimed at fostering personal growth and preparing young people for future employment, with a focus on enhancing social mobility.

Building skills and confidence for the future

Capgemini and Co-op remain committed to fostering positive change within communities by embedding social impact at the heart of their corporate missions.

This collaboration resulted in the launch of a career development programme, aimed at developing individuals aged 16+ by equipping them with the tools and confidence to navigate their personal and professional growth. The programme featured a series of targeted, co-designed sessions – tailored to their audiences using insights shared by The Young Foundation (PAC’s national delivery partner) – which focused on cultivating essential skills and aspirations among young participants. The five sessions were centred around four key themes:

1. Understanding natural strengths and values – Helping young participants identify their natural strengths and values and apply these insights to their daily lives and future career aspirations.
2. Searching for a job online and preparing for a job interview – Best practices for job searching, including using relevant job search engines and effectively leveraging networks. Utilising the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) methodology to prepare for and answer interview questions.
3. LinkedIn basics – Creating a strong LinkedIn profile and using LinkedIn as a digital CV.
4. Careers discussion – A Senior Project Manager and Senior Consultant from Capgemini Invent, alongside two Co-op colleagues, supported the group on their work experience, elevator pitch, building a career path, and harnessing the PAC skills they had already developed.

Each of the sessions delivered were designed to ensure the participants were either equipped with relevant digital skills or gained an understanding of careers in the tech industry.

Creating lasting impact and future potential

The sessions helped participants feel more prepared within the job search, and the application and interview process. Capgemini provided participants with practical tools to help navigate their next steps, with a focus on leveraging their existing network and experience, and how to make the most of the transferrable skills they have developed through PAC.

Across the five sessions, a total of 30 young people attended and demonstrated high levels of engagement.

“It really helped to break things down and leave us with important things to think about,” commented one participant. Another said: “It helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses and explore these in an honest way”.

The project has laid a solid groundwork for supporting the social mobility of young people in local communities. These efforts have been particularly impactful for young people with experience of violence, empowering them to stay connected, build resilience, and work toward positive life changes.

With the sessions receiving positive feedback, Capgemini and the Co-op’s ambition is to expand their partnership to drive future initiatives that support young people in unlocking their potential and springboarding their careers, driving lasting impact in the communities they serve.

“We were delighted to partner with Co-op to support the PAC partnership. This initiative is close to our hearts, as it allows our people to make a meaningful difference in our local communities.  By working hand-in-hand, we aim to create a positive and lasting impact that benefits everyone involved.”

Gemma Leutton, Client Director, Retail & Consumer Products, Capgemini

“It has been great to work in partnership with Capgemini to support the young people of PAC with their careers.  The PAC programme has nurtured and developed many talented young leaders that aren’t always aware of the skills they hold and how to channel them to new opportunities.  The career programme with Capgemini has opened up new avenues for the young people and will help set them up for their next move after PAC.”

Jackie Belcher, Community Partnerships and Impact Manager, Co-op