Volunteers needed for new youth training programme
A CALL is going out for people to volunteer their professional skills in order to assist 13- to 20-yearolds in a new practical training programme.
Castlebridge hairdresser Sharon Murphy has enlisted the help of some like-minded individuals, with a view to passing on their knowledge in a variety of trades to the younger generation.
PTP (Practical Training Programme) is Sharon’s brainchild, and her sole motivation is to work with the youth of the area in order to develop their talents.
She is heading a group of volunteers who want to assist those in the 13- to 20-year-old category, giving them the support they need in setting themselves up for part-time work, or simply to learn some new skills that may prove useful in their everyday lives.
A number of local businesses have already expressed a willingness to volunteer their time and expertise, and the aim is to formulate a fourweek training plan in a particular trade or skill.
It is envisaged that the participants will be assisted for one evening a week in that time frame, for two to three hours, in a range of areas.
Some of the trades already available are: hairdressing, barbering, gel nails, cooking skills, barista coffee making, an introduction to film making (YouTube etc.), personal trainer, and working on a horse farm.
Sharon is on the look-out for more volunteers to offer their services in their field of expertise, and she will be holding an information evening on the overall PTP concept in Castlebridge Community Centre this Friday, March 13, at 7.30 p.m.
Teenagers interested in the course are encouraged to attend, while parents or anyone willing to make themselves available to help with the training will also be more than welcome.
The teenagers taking part will be charged a small fee, but all of the money will be put straight back into the programme to help with products, tools and ingredients.
Sharon is keen to expand the idea to offer as broad a range of trades as possible, and she stresses that any practical ideas to broaden its scope will be taken on board.
PTP is a not-for-profit programme, designed with the sole aim of helping teenagers to improve their skill sets through the medium of volunteering.
For further information, contact Sharon Carr on 087-9484544.