Member Article

Citizens Advice Darlington unlocking opportunities for young people

THE prospects for unemployed young people across the Tees Valley are to be transformed.

Funding of £19.29m, secured by Hartlepool Borough Council, will support about 6,500 young people aged 15 to 29 across the Tees Valley move into education, employment, self-employment or training.

The Tees Valley Pathways and Routeways Youth Employment Initiative programme is being managed by Hartlepool Borough Council and delivered by 27 partners across the Tess Valley, including Citizens Advice Darlington.

Young people accessing the free Tees Valley Pathways or Routeways Programmes will gain the knowledge and the skills that employers demand and will get the support of a Flexible Learning and Skills Fund. They will also be provided with individually tailored routes into employment through a range of activities such as volunteering, internships, traineeships and apprenticeships.

Neeraj Sharma, chief executive of Citizens Advice Darlington, said: “Over the years, as a by-product of the training we provide, many of our job-seeking volunteers are able to successfully move into employment. With this funding we have for the first time been able to go much further and design and build a programme which will increase a young person’s chances of moving into education, employment, self-employment or training.”

“With the A-level results due out next week, some people may be left disappointed so this programme might just be what they need.”

Lucy Hall, 24, from Darlington, is one of the first participants to join the programme at Citizens Advice Darlington, and is already gaining work experience and office-based skills.

She said: “The programme has been a massive help to me already. I’m gaining lots of experience, my communication skills are improving, as are my IT skills.”

Lucy enrolled on the course to open up job opportunities as a receptionist, get some on-the-job training, focus her skills and prepare for job applications.

She said: “This course is really helping me. Not only am I gaining new skills, but it has been a tremendous boost to my confidence and given me experience I can cite when applying for jobs.”

Young people will also be given money mentoring, interview and job-seeking skills alongside work placement opportunities.

Mr Sharma said: “The programme provides the unique opportunity for young people to showcase the skills they have acquired during their training in a real “live” working environment; such as the bureau volunteer telephone call centre or administration centre.”

The Youth Employment Initiative is part-funded by the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England with the Department of Work and Pensions as the managing authority.

The programme, which is now underway, will run until July 31 2018.

Anyone who would like to find out more about getting involved in the Youth Employment Initiative at Citizens Advice Darlington is asked to call Rachel Wearmouth on 01325 256999, extension 110.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Citizens Advice Darlington .