Homewards scales NEON to Aberdeen to create employment opportunities for local young people

The New Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) – has launched in Aberdeen, marking the next step in Homewards’ ambition to help prevent homelessness through earlier intervention and stronger local partnerships.

In Aberdeen, NEON will bring together businesses, public services and community organisations to create sustainable pathways into employment for young people (under 25) across the city.

Stable work can be one of the most powerful ways to prevent homelessness. Alongside providing a regular income, sustainable employment can offer structure, connection and confidence, helping people build the long-term stability needed to thrive.

Building on early progress in Northern Ireland, the Aberdeen NEON launch forms part of Homewards’ ambition to scale a proven, employer-led approach across its locations. NEON is based on the Employment Advisory Board (EAB) model created by Lord Timpson, which has helped increase employment rates among prison leavers from 14% to 38% in recent years.

NEON is designed to make it easier for businesses to play a direct role in preventing homelessness. By working alongside public services and community organisations, employers can help create pathways into sustainable employment whilst accessing untapped talent, addressing and building more resilient workforces.

In Aberdeen, the network will focus on supporting young people under 25 who face barriers to employment and are at risk of housing instability.

The Aberdeen network will be chaired by Dr Jeanette Forbes OBE, founder of PCL Group and one of the region’s most respected business leaders. Working alongside employers and partners across the city, Jeanette will help to build a strong, collaborative network that champions inclusive recruitment and demonstrates the role businesses can play in preventing homelessness before it begins.

Dr Jeanette Forbes OBE said:

“This is something I am, and have always been passionate about, and why I have joined Homewards to bring together business, public services and the voluntary sector to focus on early action and long-term system change, with employment as a central pillar.’’

By bringing together pioneering businesses ready, public services and community organisations, NEON is creating sustainable pathways into employment for young people while demonstrating how collaborative action can help make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated.

To read more about NEON, please visit: Working together to end homelessness through employment – The Royal Foundation – Homewards