Youngsters across Plymouth are feeling more confident about their future employability thanks to two student entrepreneurs from University of Plymouth. 

Theodore Moule and Francesco D’Alessio set up Future Framework to help school pupils develop skills that will complement those already embedded into the curriculum.

So far they have run workshops in seven city schools, delivering tutorials in digital literacy, personal communication and enterprise – skills which are essential to succeed in the modern world.

And they have received hugely positive feedback, with 85 per cent of the school pupils reporting that they feel more confident about securing a job thanks to their participation in the initiative.

Theodore Moule, who has just completed a BSc (Hons) Business Enterprise and is chair of the Plymouth Entrepreneurs Society, said:

“When we started the project we had a very focused goal and that was to create big impact on the minds of young people and to develop their proactive attitudes towards work and life.”

Francesco D’Alessio, a first year BA (Hons) Business Administration student, added:

“This project has such a huge level of impact on the students, whether it is teaching them productivity or boosting their confidence. They can apply this to their academic, personal, social and professional lives to help develop their employability and focus within the modern world.”

Future Framework has already secured support from the University with support from HEFCE Unltd funding, Santander and the University’s Formation Zone. It recently picked up second prize in the University’s Tectona Business Challenge, which aims to provide expertise to help develop innovative business ideas and support to make them happen.

The initiative has also received hugely positive feedback from the schools and colleges which Theo, performance coach Scott Lestor Woods and Francesco have visited.

One staff member at Plymouth College said:

“The students were really engaged during the session I was in, and they were saying very positive things about it when I spoke to them around school”, while a student from Coombe Dean School said “the listening session taught me how to be more confident in ways that I didn’t know before”.

A student from Coombe Dean School said:

"The listening session taught me how to be more confident in ways that I didn’t know before."

Future Framework will recommence its programme in schools and colleges, at the University and with businesses across Plymouth.