The Social Switch Project, funded by the Mayor of London’s VRU was launched in 2019 to support young people across London to navigate the digital world safely, build positive online behaviours, and develop the skills needed for employment.
Through our programmes, we supported over 1,000 young Londoners with digital skills and employability training, with 79% progressing into jobs, apprenticeships or further education, and with 20% completing work experience or internships. Alongside this, we funded 40 grassroots projects and worked closely with communities, professionals, and partners to tackle the link between online harm and real-world violence.
As The Social Switch Project closes, we’re taking a moment to reflect on a remarkable journey defined by creativity, resilience and the unwavering brilliance of the young people at its heart. What began as a mission to create safer digital spaces and open pathways into meaningful employment grew into a powerful community built on trust, collaboration and shared purpose. Thousands of young people, practitioners and partners came together to learn, grow and lead, shaping a legacy that will continue long after the project ends.
Employability and career pathways: opening doors to opportunity
Our employability work supported young people to build confidence, develop digital skills and take meaningful steps toward long term employment.
Workshops, job fairs, and one to one support helped young people refine their CVs, prepare for interviews and explore new career paths. Job fairs across London connected young people with professionals eager to share insights and guidance.
As Martin Vito shared: “It has been inspiring to watch their confidence grow as they put new digital skills into action… reaching our target of onboarding 72 young people onto the programme strengthened our mission to support their journeys toward long term, sustainable employment.”
Online Harms, violence against women and girls, and digital Safety: protecting young People in a changing world
A core mission of The Social Switch Project has always been to create safer online spaces. Our work in online harms grew into one of the most impactful strands of the project.
Training for professionals, trusted adults and young people reached thousands, equipping them with practical tools to navigate misinformation, grooming, online violence and harmful content. Campaigns such as safer internet day, anti-bullying week, the trusted adults campaign and the 16 days of action against gender–based violence helped raise awareness and spark important conversations across communities.
The violence against women and girls campaign amplified the learning pool GBV module, shared vital statistics and produced content that encouraged informed, compassionate dialogue about online and offline violence against women and girls.
The online harms forum became a landmark event, bringing together voices from the Violence Reduction Unit, Catch22, Ofcom, the Met Police, the Breck Foundation and Georgia Harrison. Workshops, panels and youth led discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration in creating safer digital environments.
This work helped shift understanding, influence policy and empower young people to navigate the digital world with confidence and awareness.
Inspiring connections: mentoring, networking and youth leadership
Inspiring Connections grew into a vibrant programme of mentoring, networking and youth led decision making.
Cohorts brought young people together with industry experts from a wide range of sectors, helping them explore new ambitions and build confidence. Events such as the Inspiring Connections Networking Event and Women in Business event created space for meaningful conversations, speed mentoring and professional headshots, leaving attendees feeling uplifted and empowered.
Workshops with Wanstor and CAF offered behind the scenes insights into IT and rail careers, while the Youth Ambassador Programme gave past participants the opportunity to shape the future of the project.
As Claudia Granziol reflected: “This year has been full of momentum across our Inspiring Connections programmes… We remain grateful to our partners, especially the Violence Reduction Unit, for helping us deepen our impact.”
Digital skills bootcamps and training: building confidence through creativity
Our digital bootcamps became a cornerstone of the project, offering young people immersive, hands on experiences that blended creativity, technical skills and real world application.
The Digital Marketing Bootcamp brought together young people for seven days of branding, content creation, email marketing, finance in digital, graphic design and campaign development. Participants presented their final campaigns to organisations including Street Doctors, Fighting Knife Crime and Advance Charity, demonstrating not only their new skills but also their confidence and ambition.
The Digital Skills and Entrepreneur Bootcamp expanded this work, offering a five-day programme packed with industry insights, practical workshops and opportunities to apply learning directly. The energy and engagement of participants helped create a dynamic learning environment where young people supported one another and grew together.
The 01 Founders Coding Workshop offered a three-week deep dive into coding languages, problem solving and collaboration. With travel, food and equipment provided, young people were able to focus fully on learning and building a supportive community of aspiring coders.
These bootcamps didn’t just teach skills, they opened doors, built confidence and helped young people see themselves as creators, innovators and future leaders in the digital world.
Marketing and communications: amplifying voices, stories and impact
Our marketing and communication work played a vital role in celebrating young people, raising awareness and sharing essential digital safety messages.
Campaigns highlighted everything from Pride Month and Mental Health Awareness Month to Youth Work Week and Black History Month. Blogs explored cyber safety, LGBTQIA+ digital inclusion, mentoring and the hidden job market. Videos showcased mentors, young people and the energy of our bootcamps and events.
Work experience opportunities, such as Josephine’s placement, helped young people gain hands on skills in content creation, research and event planning.
As Kayleigh Milner reflected: “When young people feel seen and supported, they do extraordinary things, and it has been a privilege to witness that again and again throughout the year.”
Team reflections: the heart of the work
The reflections shared by the team capture the spirit of the project, the moments of connection, the breakthroughs in the classroom, the growth of young people stepping into their confidence.
Rhoda Agilinko described the power of delivering training to more than 100 healthcare professionals and seeing their engagement spark new pathways for support.
Sally Ann Taylor reflected on the growth of specialist online harms training and the lesson that “the energy you put into this work is exactly what you get back.”
Luke Oliver celebrated the “aha” moments in the classroom, including a student who embraced the SIFT model so enthusiastically that they began teaching it to others.
These reflections remind us that the impact of The Social Switch Project lives in the people who shaped it, and the young people who will carry its lessons forward.
A legacy that lives on
The Social Switch Project was never just a programme. It was a commitment to safer online spaces, stronger digital skills and brighter futures for young people across London.
As we close this chapter, we do so with immense pride and gratitude. To every young person who trusted us, every partner who collaborated with us, every practitioner who championed this work and every team member who poured their heart into the mission, thank you.
The impact of The Social Switch Project will continue to ripple outward in safer communities, empowered young people and a digital world shaped by those who understand it best.
If you’re interested in finding out about Catch22’s development of training for professionals and trusted adults around online harms, please fill out our form, or sign up to our Catch22 newsletter to stay informed about any updates we share across the organisation.