Northern Enterprise Awards 2025/ 6 Feeling like a square peg in a round hole is never comfortable. But in mainstream education, that sense of not belonging or feeling misunderstood can have far-reaching consequences. Committed to offering every child and young person the tools, guidance and belief to build a brighter future, regardless of their circumstances, JEP Youth Engagement is challenging perceptions around alternative education provision. We take a look at the company and its journey to find out more. In 2016, one error in judgment left teacher Jamie Pilling jobless. Following a conviction for drink-driving, Jamie felt lost, ashamed, and convinced he’d thrown away everything he’d worked so hard to build. Facing his own struggles with mental health, Jamie soon became aware of the vital importance of having someone by his side to help navigate the way forward when he simply couldn’t see it. After taking time to reflect, Jamie turned his attention to the plight of the many young people struggling in mainstream education or dealing with domestic challenges. He made it his mission to stop them slipping through the cracks by building a solution which offers genuine support. Wanting to provide these youngsters with a viable alternative, in 2020, Jamie began offering one-to-one education and mentoring sessions, and JEP Youth Engagement was born. In response to demand, by 2021, Jamie had already opened JEP’s first education hub in Salford. Today, with 3 education hubs across Salford and Bolton, the company offers inclusive education, enrichment, and pastoral support to young people aged 4 to 25. JEP now employs over 60 staff members supporting more than 100 young people every week. JEP’s Business Development Manager, Jordan Kay, tells us: “We’re determined to support young people to fulfil their potential. We help them re-engage, grow in confidence and move forward with purpose. By offering genuine support, we empower them to turn things around and help them believe in a future they can’t yet see for themselves.” The company’s mission is to create individualised education opportunities which enable young people to thrive. JEP underpins this approach through its commitment to 3 core values: empowerment, opportunity and individuality. With a range of offers, including bespoke academic learning, vocational training, one-to-one mentoring, counselling support, enrichment & mentoring, SEND-specific support, and therapeutic interventions, JEP has a multitude of options with which to tailor individual solutions. Jordan explains: “We run Primary, Secondary, and Post-16 Alternative Provision hubs in Salford and Bolton, alongside our Occupational Studies and Sports Hub, and our growing Counselling and Care and Respite services. We’ve also recently launched our VTCT-accredited Hair and Beauty course as an additional vocational option for our young people. Our alternative provision provides both academic and enrichment pathways to support their educational journey.” JEP is an approved provider for Salford, Bolton, Bury, Trafford, Wigan, Manchester, Lancashire and Northwest placements. By offering a breadth of services and working alongside local authorities, schools, social services teams and families, the team ensures that each young person’s needs are catered for holistically. With a team consisting of academic subject specialists, industry-leading vocational training experts, and experienced, qualified counselling staff, JEP are proud to provide high quality interventions across our services, delivered by best-in-class practitioners. Classes are taught in state-of-the-art facilities, including a vocational workshop, sports hall and a ‘new for 2025’ hair and beauty salon. Encouraging pupils to attend courses is often the first challenging step to making a change. However, in the last academic year, JEP recorded 89% attendance for primary and 75% for secondary and post-16 groups, outperforming national averages for alternative providers. Student exam results are impressive too, with 100% of those enrolled achieving Level 2 English, 85% achieving Level 1 Maths, and all of the young people enrolled in Level 2 Occupational Studies attaining a recognised qualification. Jordan says: “We're proud to operate within vibrant, welcoming and uniquely designed education hubs that are purpose-built to support vulnerable young people. Our culture is guided by the principle of being stronger together; as such, we’re mindful to support each other as well as the young people we work with.” Most Supportive Alternative Education & Youth Service Provider 2025 - North West JEP Youth Engagement Ltd
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