Local business supporting Sussex teens recognised at global awards

A business founded by a local parent, that connects young people with paid work opportunities, has been recognised at a global award ceremony in Spain last week.

MyPocketSkill was set up by local parent, Matthew Harker, to connect young people aged 13 - 24 with paid work opportunities. At a time when opportunities for young people to gain financial independence and employability skills are declining, MyPocketSkill offers young people the opportunity to get paid for their skills in tutoring, music coaching, photography and social media as well as babysitting and retail support.

Last week, the platform for 13- 24 yr olds was announced the winner of the Santander X Global Challenge in recognition of it’s work to support young people’s employability and financial literacy.

Having set up in Brighton’s thriving start up community, MyPocketSkill now has 150K young people signed up to earn some extra pocket money and develop their skills including a large number of teenagers and university students from Brigthon and the surrounding areas.

Harrison, 19, signed up to the site last year while studying at university. Having set up his own car valeting business, he realised he could offer his social media and business administration skills to other small businesses. Harrison said ”I’m currently working with a selection of small businesses to help with their social media in between my studies - the extra cash has helped pay for the weekly food shop at university. I’ve also improved my resilience and adaptability along the way as well as learning some valuable lessons in personal finance, such as budgeting, saving, and setting financial goals."

Matthew Harker, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of MyPocketSkill said “At a time when opportunities for young people to gain financial independence and employability skills are declining, MyPocketSkill offers teens and young adults opportunities to get paid for their skills. We’re really proud of this global award from Santander X but most importantly, we’re excited to see how our growth can support more and more young people from across Sussex with their financial independence and employability.”

More information: www.mypocketskill.com