Case Study - Neomi, Northfield

The shmuTRAIN Early Interventions programme targets and engages young people aged 14 – 16 who exhibit an increased risk of not progressing on to further/higher education, training or employment after leaving school.  Currently working in 3 local academies (Northfield, St Machar and Torry), the programme offers Summer & Winter Leavers programmes which use an innovative blend of community & digital media and direct employability support in order to support participants into employment, education or training.              

Neomi took part in shmuTRAIN’s Early Interventions programme as part of the Northfield Academy Summer Leavers 2012 course.

Working alongside 7 other young people, Neomi developed new skills through scripting, filming and editing a film that was entered into a competition for the London Olympics. The short film was to be on the topic of Truce and the Northfield group produced and film called ‘Neds vs Nerds’.  When asked what she enjoyed most about making the film Neomi said “everything…it was good.” The Northfield group were selected for the programme as they were not fully engaging in school; as part of the EI programme the group volunteered to come into school on an in-service day to complete filming for their short film. Senior teachers in the school were amazed that young people who previously had not turned up for timetabled classes were voluntarily coming into school on their day off.

Neomi also received employability support to plan for what she wanted to do when she finished school and also to apply for jobs and to college. Her dream job at that time was, “when you take prisoners to their cells and that…and take them up to court.”

Neomi recently got in contact through the shmuTrain Facebook page for current and ex-trainees to update us on what she was doing; “I am working in a tattoo shop, my uncle has rented it out for 5 years for me to work in till we buy it…yeah I am very chuffed”