Mitchell Palmer says recommendations in the YMCAs in Wales Manifesto would help young people all over Wales struggling to find a job, just like him.
Before being supported by YMCA Swansea, Mitchell says life “was not going well”. He had just failed his second work placement at college, which severely knocked his confidence and impacted on his future plans for more education and work.
But then YMCA stepped in to help. Staff offered Mitchell support around his training and education needs and gave him access to new youth projects to boost his interpersonal skills and build up his damaged confidence. He says he is now in a position where he is ready to prove he is able to move on with his life and spend less time in need of YMCA support.
He says: “I want to be able to get to a place where I see the YMCA less, not because I don’t enjoy it anymore, but because I want to be able to say I have no time because I am working.
“I agree with many recommendations in this Manifesto but the ones that would most impact on people like me would be to increase educational funding to the age of 21 and encourage more businesses to take on apprentices. This would give us more chance to access better and longer-term careers and jobs.”
Read our YMCAs in Wales Manifesto. Show your support on social media with the hashtag #YMCAforWales