Royal Docks

A 12-month paid traineeship matching Newham’s young residents with local employers

Royal Docks is a 12-month paid traineeship for young people from the London borough of Newham to experience an entry-level role in a local business.

Created in partnership between A New Direction's Employment & Skills team and Newham Council, this local community employment initiative takes place every year, giving the Royal Docks cohort the opportunity to kickstart their career in organisations operating in their local area – nurturing local businesses' commitment to uplifting its young communities.

The year-long curriculum combines online workshops, a collaborative creative project, individual careers coaching, and work placements – and pays its participants a London Living Wage (LLW) or above.

Through the paid traineeship, you gain valuable skills, experience, and knowledge through a guided and practical experience rooted in a partnership between you, the local authority, and the local business you're placed. As you work closely with peers to develop networks of like-minded professionals and receive in-demand work training, the carefully matched placements, and accompanying industry-set group project allows its participants to develop a foundation of real workplace experiences and scenarios to draw upon – developing skills in project management, team-working and leadership, and improving overall employability.

Our in-house team of youth workers also facilitates monthly workshops to support continued professional development and guide you throughout the traineeship's duration.

Who can apply?
Essential:
- Aged 18-30
- Living in Newham
Desired:
- A strong commitment to the role and a willingness to learn is desired
- No minimum educational or learning qualifications or previous work experience is required
Who supports the programme?

The Royal Docks initiative is part of the Mayor of Newham’s and the Mayor of London's commitment towards investing in the skills and talent of local people and increasing meaningful youth employment opportunities.

The programme is part of the Mayor of Newham’s Community Wealth Building (CWB) strategy and is delivered in partnership with the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone (RDEZ) team.

Regular employers include Arebyte, Rigging Services, Newham Music, Clean Power, Lendlease, Royal Docks, Higgins Partnerships, London Borough of Newham, and Tate & Lyle Sugars.

If you're a Newham-based business and would like to support the programme by facilitating a workshop or site visit, or by offering a paid role, get in touch by emailing goodgrowthhub@anewdirection.org.uk
FAQ's

Q: Why does this programme exist?

A: We want to encourage businesses in Newham to hire young residents into paid positions.

We emphasise the business, ethical and community-centric benefits of hiring local young people and paying them a decent living wage.

We enable opportunities for young people to have careers in their local vicinity.

We personalise our course curriculums and match placements based on the individual career goals of young people in Newham.

Q: Why is this only open to people in select postcodes?

A: The Enterprise Zone is funded by income borrowed against future business rate income from the Royal Docks. Therefore, those who live in the Enterprise Zone and the immediate surrounding area need to be the primary beneficiaries of this opportunity.

Q: Which sectors could I work in?

A: The Royal Docks geographical area is home to several organisations that serve a range of industries, meaning interns could be working within sectors such as technology, manufacturing, food production, creative, industrial development or transportation etc. The list of organisations participating in each annual programme is announced during the recruitment process.

Q: Is the internship full-time?

A: Yes, the internships will be full-time (36 hours a week minimum).

Q: How much will I get paid?

A: Interns will be paid the London Living Wage

Q: What qualifications do I need to apply?

A: To make sure that these opportunities are accessible to young people from a range of backgrounds, we are not asking for any minimum qualifications. However, interns will be expected to have key stage 3 numeracy and literacy skills and there will be a basic assessment during the screening process to confirm this.