Herts law students help young people overcome barriers to work
University of Hertfordshire law students have given advice and support to young people and residents in Hemel Hempstead on more than 30 occasions to help them deal with eviction, homelessness, employment problems and family breakdowns.
The students, from Herts’ Master of Laws (Solicitors’ Practice/SQE) programme, have spent a year triaging clients through practical legal experience at Hemel Hempstead’s South Hill Centre.
The Centre has launched a new Young Persons (Youth) Hub, a government initiative designed to provide support for young people aged 16-24. It comes as the Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described the UK's youth employment crisis as an "economic catastrophe and a moral failure", with around 981,000 people aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The Herts students also mentored young people who claimed Universal Credit for six months or more, helping them access employment, education and training.
The support also benefits the students' by advancing their personal development. Hertfordshire Law School has committed to ensuring that every new law student gains practical experience through pro bono opportunities, from its law clinic to supporting food banks and court services.
Sharmila O’Reilly, Programme Leader for the Master of Laws (Solicitors’ Practice/SQE) and Lead of the Hertfordshire Law Clinic, said: “Experiential learning allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life challenges, developing the communication, confidence and professional judgement essential to becoming effective, socially responsible lawyers.”
One of those providing help and guidance, student Rikiba Caton-Bain said: “The experience has been influential in developing my legal skills and empathy for what some people have to deal with. Sometimes they just want somebody to explain the process they face patiently and compassionately.”
Matters requiring further advice were referred to solicitors supervising at Hertfordshire Law Clinic, which provides free appointments.