'10 Minute Tip' by Suzie Young - Training Young People Into Work - 7am until 9:30am
Suzie Young is the experienced Marketing Manager at New Meaning Training.
Suzie began her career as a Marketing Administrator after years of part-time work at Marks & Spencer while studying Sociology at university. Her fascination with social sciences has been a constant thread throughout her career, shaping her approach to marketing and engagement. She is deeply interested in how people think and behave, and neuroscience is a particular passion, especially its role in education and wellbeing.
Her career has been diverse, including two stints in sales. First, she became her company’s youngest and first female sales representative, selling industrial computers. Later, she moved into education technology, selling reflective practice tools to teachers, an experience that deepened her understanding of professional development in schools.
Before joining New Meaning Training as Marketing Manager, Suzie spent a decade working in a primary school, where she held two key roles: pastoral support for children and families, and establishing and running a Teaching School Alliance. These experiences reinforced her belief in the power of education to transform lives and sparked her interest in how early understanding of the brain can help children thrive.
Today, Suzie combines her marketing expertise with her commitment to social impact, helping young people access education with a difference. She is passionate about addressing the growing anxiety among young people and strongly believes in bringing neuroscience into every classroom, so that all learners understand how their brains work and how to build wellbeing and resilience.
An avid learner, Suzie often “reads” on Audible during her long drives between Cambridge and the organisation’s centres across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, and Warwickshire. She is currently listening to The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, reflecting her ongoing interest in psychology and wellbeing.
New Meaning Training is alternative training provider working with young people who have Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. They often struggle in traditional education and need a new approach to discover their potential.
New Meaning Training have a range of programmes for 16-25 year olds including Creative Art & Design, Construction and Motor Mechanics as well as programmes to boost employability and personal development. They help young people to rebuild confidence, gain real qualifications, and find meaningful employment. Their approach centres on positive reinforcement, practical learning, and purpose, helping learners find motivation through achievement rather than fear of failure.
New Meaning Training works with business owners to design win-win solutions. They connect them with emerging talent while improving retention, culture, and staff engagement. Now with a new centre in Milton Keynes we’re able to extend this offer locally, offering employers the opportunity to engage directly with the next generation.
Suzie and her team work really well with small business owners and managers in Milton Keynes, HR professionals, training managers, and team leaders. They have great results in Construction, trades, logistics, retail, and service sectors. Are you looking to attract and retain young talent or engage with your local community.
All attendees will be invited to book your free “Young Talent Conversation”. This is a short, no-obligation chat where we explore how New Meaning Training can help you engage young people, whether through work experience, placements, or bespoke training programmes. It’s a genuine win-win: Your business will gain motivated, local talent. Young people gain purpose and opportunity.
About the conversation:
Discover how to motivate and incentivise young people to do more for you and your business
This talk will challenge your assumptions about young people’s motivation and work ethic. The talk focuses on how businesses can unlock the potential of young employees (and future recruits) by understanding what truly drives them. Small, practical shifts can lead to big results.
1. Purpose Beats Pay:
Most young people aren’t lazy, they just haven’t been inspired yet. They crave meaning in what they do. When you connect everyday tasks to a sense of purpose or impact, performance and motivation soar. You’ll explore how to do that in ways that don’t cost a penny but can dramatically improve engagement.2. Positive Reinforcement Works:
At New Meaning Training, Suzie works with young people who have Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Many have faced years of negative reinforcement, being told what they can’t do. Businesses can transform their motivation simply by shifting towards consistent, positive reinforcement, recognising effort, not just outcomes.3. The 10-Minute “Career Insight Chat”:
One of the simplest ways to improve engagement with young employees is to set aside just 10 minutes a week to talk about their ambitions, ideas, and challenges. This small investment of time increases loyalty, improves communication, and builds confidence on both sides.4. Don’t wait for them to apply, Invite them in!:
The best way to find future-ready young talent is to engage before recruitment. Work experience, skills challenges, and taster days can help businesses identify potential stars early while giving young people a reason to believe they can belong in your industry. We can help make those introductions.Small business owners like you often think it’s hard to find young people who are reliable, motivated, and a good fit. This session gives you practical, immediate tools to change that. You’ll learn how to inspire effort, increase retention, and build a future talent pipeline. It reframes the “young people problem” as a “leadership opportunity,” helping employers like you get more from your teams while giving young people the direction and support they need to thrive.
You’ll get a handout summarising the main takeaways, including contact details and a quick checklist for you to start implementing “The 10-Minute Chat” idea and other simple engagement strategies.
