Member Article

Skills and employment boost for young people

YOUNG people are being offered the chance to equip themselves with the skills needed to fill existing employer vacancies. East Durham Business Service (EDBS) has teamed up with DurhamWorks with funding from Virgin Money Foundation to support unemployed 16-24-year-olds into secure work. The service sees the Peterlee-based organisation working with companies in the area to identify what vacancies they’re looking to fill. They can then find the right potential candidates who are put through a tailored programme of training to ensure they gain the right qualities which are needed for the role. EDBS’s planning consultant Simon Naisbett said: “What we’re doing in partnership with Virgin Money Foundation and DurhamWorks is to take the whole recruitment process and flip it on its head. “Rather than putting young people through a generic programme of training, we’re affectively offering businesses a free recruitment service – they advise us of the positions they’re recruiting for, and we can then look at who we think is suitable and tailor our support to meet the needs of that particular job. “This service takes the pressure off the employer – we know from experience businesses can often be nervous about taking on a young person in case they don’t have the ability or attitude they’re looking for. “And by tapping into the support we’re offering the burden is taken off them while I carry out the whole process on their behalf. I only put forward people I think are right for the job, and for the individuals they know there is a real chance of a job at the end of it.” The EDBS team works with young people to put them through training programmes which enhance their basic skills as well as giving them a flavour of the skills employers in the area require. Simon added: “Many of the young people who are referred to us want to work but simply aren’t ready, however by the end of their time with me they have learned what it takes to be an employee. They’re ideally placed to enter the workplace, and hopefully the introduction of this scheme will help even more of them access a secure, long term job with real potential to develop.” For more information contact Simon on 0191 5863366.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Leanne English .