Connecting Growth
Service Design · Social Design · Community
Overview
Connecting Growth is a service that enables participants to progress in their careers by combining volunteering with a design-led Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) course. Delivered within a reflective learning structure and supported by a set of discovery activities and workshop toolkits, the service helps participants gain transferable skills, immerse themselves within their fields of interest, and increase their job readiness through real-world engagement.
The service builds on the existing ecosystem and assets of the Job Hub, along with its network of partners and active social action within the Camden community. By integrating Connecting Growth into the Job Hub’s offer, the programme can expand into a more robust and inclusive system that not only supports individual career development, but also invites ongoing participation, as former participants return to contribute and strengthen the wider community. In doing so, it fosters a more sustainable and self-growing support network rooted in shared experience and local collaboration.
Role
Service Design, Design Research, Workshop Design, Facilitation, Prototyping, Testing, Visual Design, Toolkit Design
Team
A team of 5
(MA Service Design students)
Timeline
Oct 2022 — Jan 2023
Partner
Somers Town Job Hub
(Somers Town Living Centre)
Background
The Job Hub, led by Somers Town Community Association, stands out with its people-centred, community-focused approach, working closely with local employers and promoting a sustainable, value-driven model. It primarily supports Somers Town residents, including job seekers, the long-term unemployed, and those pursuing new career opportunities—groups that often face employment barriers, with one common challenge being the requirement for A-level qualifications.
While Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) courses offer a potential route to A-levels, their academic focus and structure often make them less accessible for the Job Hub's clients in terms of time, flexibility, course planning, and practical relevance. To address this, we collaborated with the Job Hub to find a way to adapt the EPQ into a more tailored, skill-building format that better fits their clients’ needs and supports their job readiness and confidence throughout the learning journey.
User Research
Discovery Workshop
To understand who we were designing for, we conducted extensive user research, including interviews with Job Hub staff and career tutors, shadowing career advice sessions, and immersing ourselves in local events. In December 2022, we ran a workshop at Somers Town Living Centre to introduce the EPQ to potential participants. I designed one of the reflection activities, Goals and Barriers, which supported participants in mapping their current situation, identifying challenges, and envisioning their future goals.
During the workshop, I facilitated the activity, guided participants through the prompts, and encouraged discussion. These activities helped participants clarify their needs and explore opportunities for progress in their careers, while also providing us with valuable insights into their backgrounds and experiences, enabling us to design more relevant and responsive learning paths for the EPQ.
Education and Training Fair
To further understand our potential learners, we participated in the Good Work Camden Education and Training Fair. I designed leaflets introducing the EPQ and its benefits, and integrated survey and ballot cards to gather insights on the skills participants might want to develop, the support they required, and their preferred ways of learning.
Potential Learners
By synthesising findings from the workshop, interviews, and the training fair, we identified three types of potential learners who frequently visit the Job Hub, along with their common barriers and specific needs when navigating their career development.
Stakeholder Interview
Considering the Job Hub’s various volunteering opportunities, we interviewed Naomi Smith, CEO of Home-Start Camden & Islington, to learn her perspective on how the EPQ might complement volunteering. She shared that the EPQ could help participants develop professional skills and increase the value of volunteering by encouraging them to pursue qualifications and continued growth through education and training.
Opportunities
Before seeking new solutions, we began by identifying what was already working at the community level. Leveraging the Job Hub’s strong partnerships with local organisations, and recognising the potential benefits of integrating the EPQ into the volunteering process, we explored ways to connect these two learner pathways and strengthen the wider support ecosystem.
To visualise these opportunities, we mapped out the existing and possible relationships between job seekers, volunteers, and the EPQ programme. While volunteering already provides job seekers with hands-on experience, integrating the EPQ creates new connections: it helps volunteers reflect on and improve their skills, supports job seekers in entering relevant fields, and encourages more people to join volunteering in the first place. This ecosystem perspective allowed us to rethink the learner journey as a more connected and accessible experience.
Problem Statment
How might an EPQ programme recognise social action in volunteering and help improve job readiness?
Service
Connecting Growth
Connecting Growth is embedded within the Job Hub and its partner organisations, creating new opportunities for EPQ learners by leveraging the existing ecosystem of volunteering and social action in the Somers Town community. Running the EPQ alongside volunteering enables learners, including job seekers and community volunteers, to explore and identify their skills through discovery activities (pre-EPQ workshop), and to develop interest-based projects using the design and study skills gained through the programme—ultimately earning a skill-based qualification that supports both personal development and job readiness.
Service Ecosystem
The Job Hub and its partner organisations, with the University of the Arts London (UAL) as a facilitator, form the core of this service ecosystem. After being introduced to the EPQ by Job Hub and UAL, partner organisations share the information with their volunteers, while also offering job opportunities to Job Hub staff. Interested volunteers and job seekers then attend pre-EPQ workshops to identify their skills, interests, and learning goals. Job Hub staff help match participants with suitable volunteer roles and support both groups (volunteers and job seekers) in enrolling in the EPQ programme. As participants complete the programme and develop their projects, they can access new career opportunities, further expanding the reach and potential of the ecosystem.
Pre-EPQ Workshop
The pre-EPQ workshop is structured around two activities that guide participants through reflection and ideation. Using REBEL (Recognition of Experience Based Education and Learning), an educational toolkit, the activities support learners in identifying their existing skills, exploring areas for growth, and imagining future project directions and career goals. I co-developed and prototyped key workshop materials with our team to help make the process intuitive and accessible, ensuring that the EPQ felt relevant and achievable from the start.
Reflection
Workshop Delivery and Preparation
Facilitating workshops and co-creation sessions gave me valuable insights into my passion for engaging with stakeholders. While maintaining a positive and open attitude was important, I also came to understand the value of preparing for unexpected situations, such as changes in attendance numbers, late arrivals, or schedule delays. Prioritising key actions and anticipating alternatives helped ensure smoother delivery and responsive navigation during the sessions, particularly when working with new or mixed groups.
Choose the Right Language
Service design often involves working across diverse domains and with stakeholders from various backgrounds. Translating design terms into clear, accessible language is crucial for improving communication and building trust. This becomes especially important when working with vulnerable groups, where extra care must be taken. In addition, workshop materials and facilitation instructions should use neutral, thoughtful language, avoiding words that could cause confusion, discomfort, or unintended harm.