A unique online toolkit has been launched in Basingstoke to help young people develop confidence, resilience, ambition and respect as they move on from education to the world of work.

The Shaping Characters online resource hub was unveiled to teachers, youth workers and employers in the borough at the Ark Conference Centre, on Tuesday 19 September.

Packed with useful information and practical advice, the toolkit can be used by individuals, in school or youth groups, and by employers to support character development in young adults.

Users can also access resources to support business and education partnerships and find a series of factsheets exploring some of the key issues around character education.

Earlier in the day, 75 students from schools across Basingstoke enjoyed a day of character-building activities at The Ark as part of the project programme.

The toolkit was developed as part of an EU Erasmus+ funded project, led by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in partnership with The Costello School, The Consortium and organisations in Sweden, Latvia and the Czech Republic.

Sharing a goal of enabling more pupils to leave their schools and colleges better prepared for the future, the partners worked on building employability skills and confidence.

During the project, they carried out research, shared resources and looked at best practice examples.

Ten students from The Costello School travelled to the Czech Republic to spend a week engaging in a range of activities with young people from the other partner countries.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Leader Cllr Clive Sanders welcomed the launch of the Shaping Characters online toolkit.

He said: “This is the culmination of a very productive initiative in which we worked with partners from four European countries to give the next generation a better chance in the workplace.

“By accessing the Shaping Characters toolkit online, those working with young people who may otherwise have struggled to develop the type of ‘work ready’ skills that local employers need, will benefit from resources that will give them a brighter future.

“I hope this initiative will motivate more people from the borough to access employability education and improve their understanding of the techniques they can use to build character resilience.”

To find out more about the partners and the work carried out through the project visit the project website at www.shapingcharacters.eu