Impact, evidence and funding
The Hwb Collective connects practical STEM experience with employability evidence. This page sets out the external context, recent grant success, intended pathway of change and the measures we will use as delivery grows.
Research context
These are national sources used to explain context. They are not claimed as locally measured need or organisational impact.
Welsh Government estimated 17.0% of young people aged 16 to 24 in Wales were not in education, employment or training in the year ending December 2025. The source cautions that youth estimates are volatile.
Welsh Government, April 2026Careers Wales recorded 1,134 Year 11, 12 and 13 school leavers known to be NEET in 2025, equal to 2.1% of the recorded cohort. This destination measure is different from the wider population estimate.
Careers Wales pupil destinations 2025Careers and work-related experiences are a cross-cutting Curriculum for Wales theme. Statutory guidance emphasises contextualising skills, meaningful experiences and labour-market information.
Careers Wales statutory-guidance summaryDifferent NEET measures use different populations and methods. They should not be compared as though they measure the same group. Local listening and partner data are still needed before designing a targeted intervention.
Funded milestone
National Grid Electricity Distribution's Community Matters Fund awarded The Hwb Collective £2,000 for Design for Futures: Community Skills and Employability Programme.
The grant must be spent on the named project by the end of November 2026, with receipts retained and monitoring evidence submitted. It is reported as restricted funding secured, not as delivery completed or impact proven.
Current delivery priority: tools and guidance that young people can use immediately, including the four career apps and WJEC Design and Technology revision suite. Any in-person activity remains subject to a confirmed partner, venue, staffing, safeguarding, accessibility and delivery plan.
Pathway of change
The pathway is a working model to test with young people and partners, not a guarantee that every participant will experience every outcome.
Some young people lack practical experience, confidence or a way to explain the skills they already have.
Practical challenges, skills reflection, CVs, portfolios and preparation for applications or interviews.
A completed task or document, identified strengths, examples of evidence and a recorded next step.
Greater confidence explaining experience, improved readiness and clearer awareness of progression routes.
Where appropriate: an application, interview, course, training opportunity, volunteering or employment step.
What we will measure
Measures will be selected for the agreed programme. We will not collect personal information merely because it may be interesting.
Participants engaged, sessions delivered, CVs or portfolios completed, practical projects undertaken, resources produced and partners involved.
Skills recognised, improved confidence explaining experience, understanding of progression routes and readiness for an application or interview.
Participant and partner feedback, accessibility barriers, delivery changes, safeguarding or operational learning and whether the model should continue or change.
Every published figure should identify its reporting period, definition and source. Targets, funded commitments and completed results will remain visibly separate. Small numbers will be suppressed or grouped where publication could identify a person.
Photographs used for monitoring or publicity require an agreed media purpose and appropriate participant or parental/guardian consent. The draft media-consent framework sets out the controls to approve before project photography begins.
Organisations can support a defined pilot, commission delivery, sponsor accessible places or resources, share a genuine employer challenge, offer staff expertise or provide appropriate equipment. Scope, responsibilities, public recognition, data use and evaluation must be agreed in writing.
Funding decisions should consider direct delivery, preparation, equipment, accessibility, safeguarding, evaluation, digital infrastructure and responsible overheads. The organisation will not describe a time-limited grant as a permanent service commitment.
As delivery develops, this page should show verified milestones, funded activity, completed outputs, participant learning and what changed as a result of feedback. The board retains oversight of grants, expenditure and community benefit.