New series of Battlefront focussing on youth unemployment

10 August 2012

With over one million young people currently unemployed in the UK and the topic hot on the news agenda, Channel 4 is set to launch the fourth series of its Emmy award-winning campaigning project ‘Battlefront', which will profile the journey of four young campaigners on a mission to tackle the biggest issue facing today's youth.

Launching on Wednesday 8 August and produced by Raw Television for Channel 4 Education, this year Battlefront has scoured the country for unemployed and underemployed young people, to run 2012's Battlefront campaign. In a first for Battlefront, they have offered four of these young people a full time job for three months, as part of the Battlefront production team. Each will campaign on youth unemployment and will work with their own celebrity mentor: James Caan from Dragons' Den, Fairy Jobmother Hayley Taylor, Mr Drew from Educating Essex, Alastair Campbell and Metro's John Higginson. They will chart their experiences online at channel4.com/battlefront

The young campaigners include 20-year-old Chelsie, from South East London, who has been unemployed since finishing her A-Levels, Myles, from Walsall in the West Midlands, a 22-year-old graduate who left university in May and has already applied for over 40 jobs, 22-year-old single-mum Kealy from West London who is stuck in a benefits trap, and 23-year-old Ava, from Blackburn in Lancashire, who left university two years ago with a degree in journalism but is still struggling to find a job in her chosen field.

The selected Battlefronters will use their personal experiences and travel the UK to investigate the massive problem of Britain's out-of-work 16-24-year-olds, guided and supported by experts and celebrity mentors as they cook up some sensational stunts to put the Campaign to Combat Youth Unemployment on the map - making both employers and politicians sit up and take notice. They will challenge the powers-that-be and their own peers as they set out to prove that the youth of the UK desperately want to work and are prepared to do whatever it takes to get a job.

20-year-old Chelsie, has been unemployed since finishing her A-Levels and leaving college a year ago: "I must have applied for 100-plus jobs... it's a myth that people on the dole are lazy, there's so many people that really, really want to get a job." Her response to being selected as a Battlefront campaigner:  "I'm actually employed at last and it feels rad...let's just say I'm pretty damn ecstatic about it and I'm super excited to potentially influence crucial and positive change...we can all help to crack youth unemployment.  I'm Chelsie Sparks and I'm a Battlefront campaigner!"

Hayley Taylor aka Channel 4's Fairy Jobmother, will mentor Chelsie as she battles to get her CV writing and interview skills up to scratch. Hayley says, "Being a mentor on Battlefront allows me to make a contribution towards helping young people to find and sustain employment and make a difference to not only their life but the lives of other young people who find themselves in the same position. Campaigning for employers and the government to sit up and take notice is essential, as youth unemployment is the most pressing economic issue that the country currently faces."

Myles, from Walsall in the West Midlands, is 22 years old. He left university in May and moved back in with his parents to save money, he says: "I feel very trapped in this situation... Everyone says it's the best years of your life, you know.  But no money to do anything, nothing is changing, all I can do is keep applying and trying."  Since being offered the job on Battlefront, he's keen to use his experience to help others, "this is a massive dream come true for me...I hope to bring the problem of youth unemployment to the forefront...this problem needs serious attention, this is the future of the country and without addressing the issue now it's only going to get worse." Myles will be mentored by Deputy Headteacher Mr Drew, beloved by audiences across the UK from watching Educating Essex. 

Kealy from West London, is a single mum of two and has been living on benefits for the last four years. She needs to get a job that will earn her enough money to cover all her bills plus childcare whilst she's at work. She will be mentored by Dragons' Den presenter James Caan. For Kealy, getting a job would be a dream come true.  She says: "I'm a single mum and so many single parents are out of employment because they can't afford childcare. I've got to do the best for my children...I want to show my kids that I can be a role model for them. I don't think I can really explain the gratitude I have towards Battlefront for giving me a chance to help tackle youth unemployment...it's an amazing opportunity, I can't wait." Dragons' Den presenter James Caan adds, "I really liked Kealy. I was really encouraged by the fact she wants to get off benefits and do her own thing and break that trap and I think in a quite motivated, quite driven, quite passionate way, ... I'd love to see her succeed, I really would, so all I can do is do a great job in mentoring her and make sure she gets to that finishing line."

Ava, who will be mentored by Alastair Campbell and Metro's John Higginson, says: "I wasn't prepared for the lack of opportunities and constant doors shutting in my face and I wish someone would have warned me. How has the youth unemployment situation gotten so bad? I want to campaign against this generation becoming a lost one."

Last year, the Battlefront campaigners achieved some fantastic results. They signed up thousands of new organ donors, got government ministers talking about young people's mental health, lobbied for 1000 new work experience places for young people, raised awareness about the danger to Orangutans from unsustainable palm oil, and got young people to start playing a sport they love. Over three seasons, Battlefronters have tackled everything from knife and gun crime, to autism in the workplace, to trying to get better sex education in schools and have even had questions asked in the Houses of Parliament three times in the past year.

Battlefront will run throughout the year online at channel4.com/battlefront and culminate in a six-part series for broadcast on Channel 4.

 

Commissioning Editor : Faraz Osman

Production Company: Raw Television

Executive Producer: Lucy Willis

Series Producer: Suzanne Lynch

 

 

Notes to editors

About Battlefront 4

Each of the Battlefront campaigners will set up their own Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel, in order to keep their supporters up-to-date with the latest details of the campaign.  Each of these feeds will be embedded on the campaign's own page at channel4.com/battlefront, so visitors will be able to see regular updates with live streaming from all three sources.

channel4.com/battlefront

www.twitter.com/battlefrontuk

www.facebook.com/battlefrontuk

 

Battlefront on TV

4 x half hours

This first four-part series of half hours will follow the four unemployed and underemployed young people who have each been selected to run the Battlefront campaign on youth unemployment. Each episode will focus on one of the four campaigners as they explore what it really means to be young and unemployed, the programme will take the viewer on an emotional and entertaining journey, culminating in an arresting, publicity stunt realized with a bit of help from their fellow campaigners.

The series and the website will provide plenty of tips and advice on how young people can give themselves the best chance of getting a job. As in previous years, each of the campaigners will have their own dedicated page on the Battlefront website where they will post regular blogs, photos and updates on their campaign progress. The programmes will feature interactivity between the TV series, the site and social media.

1 x half hours

This half hour presenter-led entertainment programme will delve into the world of work and unemployment. Using a mix of TV and film clips as well as entertaining YouTube clips and short celebrity interviews about first jobs, interviews that went wrong, what not to do in the office etc, and entertaining links from our presenter, this watchable half hour, shows us the lighter side of work and unemployment.

1 x one hour

For the last four years Battlefront has worked with some incredibly committed and talented young people who have run campaigns about subjects they care passionately about. In this one hour special Channel 4 will follow the stories of just a few of those campaigners and find out what they've been up to since their time with Battlefront. Campaigners like Alex Rose, who ran a hugely successful Gun and Knife Crime Campaign in 2009, or Zuhal Sultan who set up the first ever National Youth Orchestra of Iraq.

 

Battlefront Awards and Nominations

Broadcast Digital 2011 (nominee): Best Multiplatform Project

Banff Award 2011 (nominee): Youth Programme (13+) - non fiction

International Emmy 2011: Best Digital Programme: Children & Young People

BIMA 2010: Winner Social Media award

International Emmy 2009: Winner Outstanding Digital Programme: Children & Young People

Banff World Television Awards 2009: Winner Best International Youth Programme

Positive Images Award 2009: Winner for Best TV Coverage of Young People

Webby award 2010 (nominee): Activism

RTS Education Award 2009 (nominee): ‘Best Program in the 14-19 year old category', and for ‘Innovation in Education'.

BAFTAs 2009 (nominee): Interactive Innovation

BAFTAs 2009 (nominee): Children's Award (Learning-Secondary)

 

 

What people have said about Battlefront over the years:

This in an initiative that I hope will make young people feel that they have a voice at the heart of government. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

I think it's really important for everyone to get involved in an organisation that they're passionate about. I think we can all do something...  You're doing a lot by just caring at all. Alicia Keys

I think it's absolutely amazing what they're doing, I kind of wish I'd done something like that when I was their age. Ellie Goulding

Young people campaigning? I think it's good, man, it's a sign of our generation. Toddla T

Young people have the real fire and spirit, when they have a concern or an idea they go for it 100% so obviously they're really great campaigners and spokesmen for any cause New Young Pony Club

As long as you've got an idea that captures people's imagination on something that needs it you can make a massive difference. The Wanted