Laís de Almeida

What if the social challenges of a community became work opportunities for those struggling to get employment opportunities that can offer a fair income?

Unlike the traditional services where users are not receiving tailored support, The Ladder will provide the support and resources the individual needs to create their own micro-enterprise while addressing community needs. This is a hyperlocal model that will help boost the local economy, encourage a community feeling and generate a faster social mobility, while upskilling individuals.

I am currently working in employability as a way of tackling inequalities at a borough level.

The project looks at the Andover Estate in Islington, one of the most unequal boroughs in London, and located in the Finsbury ward, the ward with the second highest child poverty rate in England. As a consequence of such high inequality, the community faces different social challenges like overcrowded housing, lower education attainment, anti-social behaviour.

My proposition, The Ladder, is a social enterprise service for people who are struggling to find meaningful work with a fair income. The ladder is an employability service that creates work opportunities to match individuals’ skills, talents and aspirations (valuing them as assets), rather than matching individuals to the work available.