The 3 Best Ways That a Local Business Can Contribute to the Community

So you’re a local business, and you want to give something back to the community you work in. That’s pretty common - a lot of local companies owe their success entirely to the people they see around the town or city everyday. SME businesses, because of this proximity become the vital organs in the body that is a town, village or city. The proverbial heart of the community.

So how can you do this? Well, the most energetic, vibrant, active population in any locality is the youth population. Specifically, the 14-19 year old demographic. They are important because they represent the workforce of tomorrow and even today. One of the best options a local business can pick is to support this group of people. So let’s take a look at how you can do just that.

1. Go to Careers Fairs

So every young person at some point will go to a career fair. It’s pretty much guaranteed that they will wander around a hall full of people who can tell them about the different careers that will be there.

If you’re a local business who wants to give something back, then this is one of the best options that you have available. If you advertise your organisation, you’re helping to give young people an idea about the future of their careers and hopefully leading them into gainful employment.

2. Offer Work Experience 

A good way to help young people reach their full potential is to offer them the opportunity to have work experience. We need to shape the minds of the young with a positive work experience. They need to see the adult world as being a realm of opportunity and success, not a demoralising place of frustration.  

If you can offer someone the chance to have work experience, then you might be able to spend time showing them what it’s like to be in a position of responsibility. You can nurture their potential to reach greater heights and put them on the path to greatness.

The opportunity, work experience offers both the employer and the participant is only as big as they both can imagine.

 Thomas Edison once said:

              "Most people miss Opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

 Both parties are availed of an opportunity, which if maximised, can materialise anything.

3. Offer Apprenticeships

Another option you have may well be one that people are less quick to offer. An apprenticeship puts it all together and makes an investment in a young person. You teach them skills, you pay them a wage, and you give them the confidence that they need to start a career.

It can seem like a big ask to try and help a young person find their way in the world. But they need you to invest in them. They need that confidence and the knowledge that someone is prepared to take a chance on them. It helps their belief in their own confidence and it’s going to work out well for you too.

Overall, these are just a few of the different things that you can do as a company which will allow you to contribute to the local community. The youth of today are important to us all. We have to try and make sure that they do not go down the paths that will put them in trouble with the law or in danger. We have to build them up, help them realise their potential and show the current generation that no matter who they are or where they come from, they can be brilliant with the right support.