Matt Ryan, Tutor, Point Blank

11 November 2008 1 min read Youth Work

Not all young people are engaged by the same things. Keeping them in school and hoping that they get a qualification in English or geography can be counter-productive. Point Blank works by delivering courses that are interesting to them, such as DJing, music production or spray art.

I work with a range of different groups including the unemployed, refugees, single mums and autistic children. Contrary to what Boris Johnson says about such courses, it's not about turning out lots of DJs. The outcomes are not solely to do with the level of achievement in a curriculum sense. It can be about integrating better with your community or developing confidence.

As well as showing young people a practical skill, I try to open their eyes to what is out there. Not all of them will be DJs, but there are other jobs within the industry such as in engineering or marketing. The experience may lead some in a completely different direction, such as youth work.

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