Prince William visited the Tower of London on 9 July 2009 to meet young people who have been helped by the inspirational youth charity Skill Force and talks exclusively about why he became Patron.
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Skill Force is a national charity working across England, Scotland and Wales to help young people begin to unlock their potential before they leave school.
The organisation uses the talents of former Service Personnel and others, to deliver inspirational and motivational activities, known as “preventative intervention programmes” to about 9,500 young people each year.
Prince William became Patron of Skill Force in February 2009 this year and said he was "delighted" to get involved.
He said: “Skill Force combines the skills and experience of former members of the Armed Forces and other uniformed services with an innovative and successful approach to unlocking the potential of some of the Country’s most disadvantaged young people.”
Skill Force has a vision of “a future when no young person is needlessly left behind in education and where every young learner has an equal chance to succeed in life, whatever their background or ability."
Operating through a network of teams, consisting of between two to six pairs of instructors, its core activities are targeted mainly at 14 to 16-year-olds who respond more positively to alternative learning programmes, although transition, primary and special projects are also delivered.
The aim is to provide a way forward for participants and ultimately routes to employment for sometimes more difficult to reach young people, therefore preparing them for life after they leave school.