Inverclyde - Through Our Eyes
Through Our Eyes is a participatory research project exploring young people’s experiences of transitioning from school to employment in Inverclyde. Our policy partners in Glasgow City Region identified Inverclyde as a priority area due to the number of young people currently out of work.
In collaboration with Project SEARCH, we partnered with seven young people through a series of workshops to reflect on:
- Their experiences of moving from school into work
- The challenges they faced along the way
- What support was helpful
- What could have improved their experience
Using creative and collaborative methods, participants shared personal insights into what it means to search for work as a young person in Inverclyde — and how employment connects to confidence, wellbeing, and health.
Their voices and ideas are now helping to shape more inclusive and relevant policy models.
Why focus on young people and employment?
With high numbers of young people currently out of work, our policy partners want to better understand the challenges faced during the transition from school to employment — particularly for those with additional support needs.
Employment is closely linked to health, wellbeing, confidence, and long-term life opportunities. Understanding these experiences is essential to designing policies that work in practice.
Young People’s Perspectives on Employment and Health in Inverclyde
Using a participatory method called PhotoVoice, participants took photographs in their homes and neighbourhoods to capture their experiences of job searching in Inverclyde.
The slideshow below shares the powerful photographs and thoughtful captions created by the participants.
Together they tell a story of aspiration, frustration, resilience, barriers and hope.
When I was a wee guy, you couldnae move for people. It was shipyards and buildings. Now, it’s just dead. A lack of opportunities leads young people to struggle when it comes to finding a job in the local area. If you want something decent, you look elsewhere.
Inverclyde Participant 5
This represents the lack of shops and opportunities that are available in Greenock. It tends to be bookmakers, pound shops and vape shops. It makes me feel sad. I don’t feel proud of the area I live in. I feel this represents a lack of opportunities for young people. This is relevant in terms of what people are interested in and employment opportunities. I feel like it would be better if there were more different options.
Inverclyde Participant 7
Sharp/harsh waves on a very windy day (Storm Amy). This photo represents the feeling of looking for a job and being shut down, rejected and the lack of communication from people. Slight rainbow above the water - the slight hope you feel that you might get the job or even just an interview.
Inverclyde Participant 4
This picture represents how hard it might be for young people to access the workplace or get to interviews. I had to use the bus to get to college/work but I hadn’t got the bus before. My family helped me by going on the bus with me. I am proud to have achieved this accomplishment to go on the bus by myself.
Inverclyde Participant 2
Scarcity. Uncertainty. Unity. Regardless of people young and old, we have no idea how the job market is going to go.
Inverclyde Participant 5
The stop sign is the main focus. The feeling of being stopped in your tracks after being rejected from jobs and other things in your life. Feelings of failure, rejection, disappointment. Clear skies show it’s not always negative and there are positive things in life.
Inverclyde Participant 4
This place is somewhere I go when I’m struggling mentally or just want to relax from the world. It gives me peace and quiet and helps to calm my mind. This picture shows how nice Port Glasgow can be, considering it was voted the most dismal town in Scotland. The only downside is that it is weather dependent.
Inverclyde Participant 3
My favourite café in Greenock. It does lots of different Asian food and changes its menu regularly. I chose this as I feel it is a bit of a healthier option. I took this as a positive as it did actually represent something new in the area. I would normally have to go to Glasgow for this. The fact it’s something different makes me happy.
Inverclyde Participant 7
Enable Works helped me look for work and prepare for interviews. They were really helpful and made me feel confident that I would get a job.
Inverclyde Participant 2
They took me in as a volunteer and got work experience. I enjoy volunteering here. There needs to be more opportunities like this for people to get work experience.
Inverclyde Participant 7
I think it's nice just how much heart Parklea has. It’s a place for self-improvement and tries to coax creativity out of people. All the decorations were suggested or made by people who work or volunteer there. Every time you go into this glasshouse, there's people who paint or paper mache, whether or not they are disabled. They're all given the chance to improve themselves.
Inverclyde Participant 6
This photo symbolises taking your time. Stop worrying about the future and look for a job that you want to work at. It makes me feel relaxed and happy.
Inverclyde Participant 1
Understanding the System
Alongside sharing their experiences, participants explored how local systems make it easier — or harder — to find suitable, sustainable employment.
Using participatory systems mapping, the group built a shared picture of what it is like to be a young person looking for work in Inverclyde - mapping how services, opportunities, and barriers connect.
The systems map highlights:
- Where challenges arise
- How different services and factors interact
- Where change could make the biggest difference
These insights provide a richer understanding of how employment systems operate from a young person’s perspective and will inform the development of more inclusive policy models.
What Happens Next?
The photographs and conversations we gathered are more than stories — they are evidence.
The Community Insights research team will work with Policy Modelling for Health modellers to incorporate these findings into the development of more inclusive and relevant policy models.
We will continue to develop this work with events planned for the West Midlands and Greater Manchester.
Explore Community Insights Work Package
Finding Solutions
In the final workshop, our participants used the new systems map to identify changes they would like to see in the Inverclyde job market and support services.
We asked:
"If you were in charge for the day, what would you change?"
Ideas focused on both individual support and wider system change across Inverclyde, including:
- Building personal confidence
- Improving access to suitable volunteering opportunities
- Creating rewarding, long-term jobs
- Supporting job-seeker wellbeing, including mental health
- Making it easier and more affordable to travel to work using public transport
These ideas reflect both practical improvements and deeper structural changes that could support young people into sustainable employment.
Contact Us:
We welcome conversations with local policymakers, practitioners, and organisations interested in learning more about the solutions proposed by participants.
If this feels relevant to your work, please get in touch: