Participatory Action Research 2025 - What we learned about Breadwinners programmes from their young researchers
We're grateful to Impetus for providing us with the wonderful Iman (Investment Manager), who supported all our PAR workshops, led data analysis, and guided discussions with the team—deepening our insights and strengthening our findings.
Here are her insights!
“You reached more people than ever - here’s what you made happen.”
What we learned about Breadwinners programmes from their young researchers
In this guest blog Iman Haji, Investment Manager at Impetus, writes about her learnings from our recent Participatory Action Research project.
At the start of this year, we were delighted to begin our partnership with Breadwinners – an organisation that fills a critical gap in the sector by offering on-the-job training and mentoring to refugees and asylum-seekers, providing a vital lifeline to one of the most underserved communities in the employment landscape. We loved their practical approach, their track record of getting young people into work, and their appetite to keep improving. Most of all, we share a belief: that every young person deserves meaningful support and the chance to build a future.
In addition to funding of £100K per annum for two years, Breadwinners gained the dedicated, hands-on support of our Investment team. This approach is central to our work with each of the non-profit organisations in our portfolio, ensuring they have the tools and guidance needed to build high-performing interventions that deliver meaningful outcomes.
To provide this support effectively, we rely on a detailed understanding of how their programmes are performing - what’s working, what isn’t, and where young people could be better supported. So, when the Breadwinners team offered us the opportunity to build on our detailed analysis of programme and outcomes data through a youth-led research project, we leapt at the chance.
Getting a deeper insight into Breadwinners’ programmes - this year’s Participatory Action Research Project
Breadwinners invited us to observe this year’s Participatory Action Research (PAR) project, which was led entirely by a team of Breadwinners graduates. It gave us a valuable opportunity to hear about the journeys of Breadwinners participants directly from them.
Over 2 months, a team of 23 young researchers led the process from start to finish. They shaped the focus areas, designed the questions, and contacted nearly 1,000 former participants through hundreds of messages and phone calls. Along the way, they built valuable skills in communication, research and teamwork.
What we learned about the difference Breadwinners makes
This year, the young researchers contacted more young people than ever before with: • 928 messages sent, reaching 97% of the target list – up from 705 contacts last year
• 344 calls made, resulting in over 80 real conversations
• 82 survey responses, with a good split between young people (50 responses) and mentors (32 responses)
All of this is a testament to the young researchers’ dedication and care. They didn’t just gather data. They reached out, listened, and built trust across the Breadwinners community.
Employment outcomes
The research found that:
• 95% of young people (40 of 42 young respondents) said that Breadwinners influenced their career or life plans
• For 40 percent (17 YP), that influence came through building skills and confidence.
• 43% (19) of young people reported that Breadwinners linked them to job or work opportunities, with 42% of respondents later securing employment after the programme (10% of this group continued working with Breadwinners on a programme providing paid work experience).
For young people, the biggest shifts were personal as well as practical. 1 in 5 (21% or 9 YP) described Breadwinners as their first structured experience of the world of work. The impact they reported was wide-ranging:
• Confidence came through most strongly, with 64% of young people (27) naming improved self-belief as the programme’s biggest impact on them. • Practical skills mattered too: 43% (18 YP) identified practical skills like learning how to write a good CV, how to problem-solve and customer service skills. • 21% (9 YP) named improved communication and public speaking skills specifically
• 29% (12) said Breadwinners helped them clarify or even change their career direction
Mentors also experienced powerful outcomes
• 57% (17 of 30) said Breadwinners inspired or motivated them to work, volunteer or contribute to social impact or refugee-focused work
• 24% (7 of 29) talked about developing greater empathy and understanding for others as the most significant change they experienced
What stood out across these responses is that Breadwinners supports growth in many ways. Young people’s responses tell us Breadwinners helped them build their confidence, develop new skills and gain a clearer sense of direction as they consider sense of their next steps, whether that involves finding work, continuing their studies, or deciding what to do next. For mentors, Breadwinners often sparks a long-term commitment to supporting others and contributing to positive change.
Together, these stories show that Breadwinners provides a community where people grow, build connections and take meaningful steps forward. The impact continues long after the programme ends.
The challenges young people face
But the journey isn’t without challenges. 92% of young people said they’ve faced at least one challenge in their career or next steps after Breadwinners. For young people, the biggest barrier was a lack of access to jobs (49% or 19 of 39 YP), followed by lack of confidence (21% or 8 young people), uncertainty about career direction (13%), and lack of networks (10%).
The support young people want next
Young people were clear about what would help them most after the programme.
• 53% (20) asked for more direct connections to jobs and employers • 32% (12) want additional support with skills and employability development while on the programme
• Many also called for clearer communication, more follow-up, and opportunities for networking and social events
Mentors echoed the call for clearer communication and ongoing ways to stay involved, as well as more work to help participants into employment.
Looking ahead
This research has given us a closer look at the journeys of the young people Breadwinners supports. We’ve heard evidence of how the programme builds confidence, skills, and connection, and how it continues to shape the paths of young people and mentors long after it ends. We’ve also heard clearly where support needs to grow, especially around access to jobs and continued engagement.
Later this year, we’ll be supporting Breadwinners to refresh their Theory of Change through our flagship Driving Impact workshops - a four- day cross-organisation process designed to help teams step back from the day-to-day to look at the big questions:
1. Who do we exist to serve?
2. What outcomes do we commit to help them achieve?
3. How will we do this?
Answering these questions helps organisations identify and commit to the changes needed to strengthen their programmes and improve outcomes. The end result is a shared vision for the organisation and a clear plan for how to get there. The findings from this project will help inform that process.
We’re proud to support Breadwinners as they continue building a future where more young people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds can thrive.
Impetus transforms the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by investing in the best education and employment non-profits, giving them long-term funding, pro-bono support, and strategic expertise. They also work to influence policy, aiming for systemic change so that more young people get the education, qualifications, and opportunities they need for a fulfilling life.