Tory conference: Edinburgh CIC inspires Tory policy

The Conservative party this week said it would be learning about how to get young people into employment by following the model of an Edinburgh-based social enterprise.

In a speech on Monday, Lord David Freud referred to Working Rite, a Community Interest Company specialising in work-based mentoring projects.

He said: 'Inspired by the successful Working Rite model, we will match up 100,000 teenagers with sole traders to get six months' real work experience. Your first boss - one of the most important people in so many of our lives.'

Working Rite, which has funding from the Young Foundation's Learning Launchpad, partners unemployed teenagers with self-employed tradesmen in six-month work experience placements.

It has set up nine projects across England and Scotland in the past five years, helping more than 600 youngsters into a work mentoring placement, 75 per cent of whom go on to further employment or training.

Geoff Mulgan, director of the Young Foundation, said: 'Working Rite is just one of the great ideas that we know is out there. Through the Learning Launchpad fund, our aim is to find these fantastic ideas, develop them and help them grow.'

Last week, Rajeeb Dey, founder of another Learning Launchpad project, Enternships, was named young entrepreneur of the year by O2.

Find out more at www.learninglaunchpad.org