DAY1 is aimed at those young people between the ages of 14 –17 who, with limited opportunity and support, would benefit from having an older person to befriend them and encourage them to discover their potential.

 

There are obvious benefits in being mentored towards a more positive future and the DAY1 programme has been discussed and reviewed by a number of established organisations already working with young people.

 

These include the Highland Council, Scottish Mentoring Network, Laidlaw foundation, Scottish Entrepreneurial Exchange, the Schools and the Prince’s Trust who themselves consider the program “to be a well targeted and worthwhile addition to aid the development of youth in the Highlands.”

 

Apart from the Princes’ Trust, local schools’ and the other endorsements of the need for the DAY1 service there are also government statistics and cost assessments which lie behind DAY1’s desire to act.

 

14% of 16-19 year olds in Scotland are classed as NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training). There are two costs to this. The first is the personal and social cost to the individual who, if NEET between 16-19, is most likely to suffer educational underachievement, unemployment, inactivity, poor physical and mental health, substance abuse and homelessness. The second cost is that to the taxpayer, which is estimated at a lifetime cost of £50,000 per NEET.

 

The majority of the costs are incurred because of underemployment and unemployment. In the main, these are due to educational underachievement, which in turn is likely due to a need for more care, guidance, discipline and mentoring during the young person’s educational period.

 

The DAY1 program is inexpensive in comparison to such costs and we therefore have the potential not only to change the lives of individuals but also to make a contribution to the wider community as well.