An ECHELON 8 programme

FUTUR8:Next Steps

FUTUR8: Next Steps helps young people explore what could come next and build practical evidence of what they can do.

About the programme

FUTUR8: Next Steps is a practical progression programme delivered by ECHELON 8. It combines progression, employability and enterprise with practical projects, career exploration and exposure to people and opportunities beyond the programme.

It is built on the same belief as everything we do: potential is everywhere, opportunity isn’t. The programme exists to help people take their next steps with more skills, more confidence and better connections.

It is an ECHELON 8 programme — not a separate organisation.

Taking part

Funded · Preparing for delivery

Programme details are being prepared. FUTUR8: Next Steps is a funded programme for young people aged 15–19, with a focus on Croydon.

Recruitment and referrals are not yet open. Eligibility and places have not been confirmed. Information will be published when confirmed.

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Eligibility and referral

To be confirmed. We will publish this once it has been approved.

When and where

To be confirmed. We will publish this once it has been approved.

Recruitment information

Recruitment and referrals are not yet open. Details will be published once they have been approved.

Progression through doing

FUTUR8 is built around a simple idea: people develop confidence, skills and direction by applying them.

Participants explore possibilities, choose an area they want to develop, and use a practical project or challenge to put their skills into action.

Employability is woven through that process rather than taught as a separate set of lessons. It shows up in how people communicate, plan, solve problems, work with others, take initiative, behave professionally, reflect on their work and present their ideas.

The participant journey

FUTUR8 is shaped around six connected stages, whichever direction someone chooses to explore.

  1. Explore

    Discover interests, strengths, sectors, careers and different routes into opportunity.

  2. Choose

    Identify a direction and turn an interest, goal or idea into something achievable.

  3. Build

    Develop the project or challenge while applying practical and employability skills.

  4. Test & develop

    Receive feedback, encounter relevant people or environments, and improve the work.

  5. Showcase

    Present the journey, development and evidence of capability.

  6. Progress

    Turn the experience into a next-step plan towards education, training, employment, enterprise or another appropriate opportunity.

Projects as a vehicle for development

Projects are how skills become visible. Depending on participants' interests and the opportunities available, project work could take creative, enterprise, media, sport, technology, community or other practical directions.

Examples of directions a project could take

  • Creative practice
  • Enterprise
  • Media
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Community ideas
  • Other participant-led interests

These are examples, not a fixed menu or a promise of specific provision. Where a direction calls for specialist knowledge, relevant practitioners and employers may contribute.

The finished output matters, but it is not the whole point. The value is in what the process shows about the person behind it.

Participants are encouraged to build evidence of

  • Research
  • Planning
  • Decision-making
  • Problem-solving
  • Communication
  • Responding to feedback
  • Iteration
  • Professional behaviours
  • Reflection
  • Presentation

Employers and practitioners

Relevant employers, practitioners and partners may contribute to FUTUR8 in different ways, depending on what participants are working on.

Contributions could include

  • Insight into a sector or role
  • Feedback on project work
  • Exposure to workplaces and sector environments
  • Project critique
  • Career conversations
  • Connections to possible next steps

Specific partners and activities will be shared when they are confirmed.

What participants may leave with

Participants are encouraged to capture the process as well as the final result.

Depending on the activity, evidence could include

  • Project work
  • Research
  • Reflections
  • Feedback
  • Portfolio material
  • Presentations
  • Appropriate behind-the-scenes or process documentation

The aim is for participants to have something real to point to when they talk about what they can do, and a clearer plan for their next step.

The showcase

The showcase is more than a celebration.

It gives participants a chance to communicate

  • Where they started
  • What they explored
  • What they developed
  • What they learned
  • Evidence of their capability
  • Where they want to go next

Questions

Who is FUTUR8 for?

FUTUR8: Next Steps is a funded programme for young people aged 15–19, with a focus on Croydon. Recruitment and referrals are not yet open, and eligibility and places have not been confirmed. Until details are published, please do not assume you are, or are not, eligible.

How do I take part?

How to take part will be published here once it is confirmed. This page will be updated as soon as recruitment details are approved.

Is FUTUR8 a separate organisation?

No. FUTUR8: Next Steps is a programme run by ECHELON 8 C.I.C.

Funding acknowledgement

FUTUR8: Next Steps is supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.