New initiative for unemployed in New Ross

A NEW initiative to get unemployed New Ross people who have difficulties in their lives training and jobs is being launched on Wednesday.

The Cornmarket Project, supported by Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board, is spearheading the initiative.

Paul Delaney, coordinator of the Cornmarket Project, said: ‘We know from our existing work in New Ross over the past ten years that youth unemployment remains a huge challenge.

‘However, between the 14 places that we now offer on our community employment drugs rehabilitation scheme funded by the Department of Social Protection and now a further 18 places on our new local training initiative programme funded by WWETB, we will strengthen our ability to offer young people in New Ross a range of fulltime, structured and accredited training courses that will lead into employment.’

The Cornmarket Project is an initiative under the umbrella of Wexford Local Development and its CEO Brian Kehoe has welcomed this latest addition to its services in New Ross.

He said the new Local Training Initiative (LTI) will work in tandem with other services of WLD including the Cornmarket Project and the Local Employment Service, to help young people to move away from dysfunction and towards further training and employment.

Mr Kehoe said: ‘ The new programme will offer a range of training qualifications in computers, horticulture, hospitality industry training, wood work, communications, inter personal skills and other areas designed to equip participants to move towards employment.’

Richard Grant from Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board said: ‘We are pleased to support this local training initiative which will focus on young people who typically have difficulties in their lives that have stopped them from following conventional pathways from education and training into employment. The new LTI will target these young people and ensure that they don’t fall between the stools when it comes to training and employment opportunities in New Ross and the surrounding areas.’