From education to employment

Bus bound to bring a better future for forgotten young people

Robust Training has come to Brussels to launch its latest mobile learning centre, the Activtraina, to European government and employment professionals.

And to explore needs and opportunities in Europe for this innovative vehicle, designed to offer readily-available solutions to the problem of reaching out to disaffected young people –  those not in education, employment, training or registered as unemployed.

Based on a 40ft bus, the Activtraina takes the training message into the community. It is equipped with CD music mixing machines, DVDs, satellite television, games and drum machines, computers with access to the internet via satellite dishes and other gadgets that appeal to the 14-22 age group. 

The company is finding huge interest in the UK among organisations charged with reaching these hard-to-reach young people and bringing them in from the cold.  And interest is mounting from rural organisations who want to take the bus to remote villages where lack of transport and mobility are major handicaps.

The bus is the brainchild of Robust Training’s chief executive Roger Lynch, himself a product of one of London’s toughest estates. "We are using the bus and all its gadgets to grab the attention of hard-to-reach young people, hopefully showing them the attractions of training to get a worthwhile job.

"Too many young people are failed by their school, and leave with few or no qualifications, and give up hope. We want to show them that there are many opportunities out there, via the vocational training route, to acquire skills that are valued by employers and pay good wages."

Last autumn, Robust Training launched its Robustraina mobile training vehicle, fitted out to the same high standard as its own high-quality south London training centre. It can handle up to 20 learners at any one time, is fully computerized with satellite access to the internet and awarding bodies such as City & Guilds and EDI, and phones to contact employers and agencies. It enjoys patent pending status.

No expense has been spared in fitting-out the fleet of Activtraina and Robustrainas buses with everything from next year’s computer technology to next-generation hi-definition game stations.

"We hope to make many more professionals in this field aware that there are practical any effective solutions to the difficult task of reaching out to the Outreach cohort they rarely see or talk to," Lynch says. The bus can be hired by the day, leased for a year, or any period in between.

 


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