Programme helps young people to take the next step
AFTER A year of hard work and dedication, the participants in a Youth Employability Initiative pilot project received their certificates of achievement last Tuesday night, November 7.
The project was run by Crosscare – East Wicklow Youth Service (EWYS) and Kildare Wicklow Educational Training Board (KWETB) after the KWETB received funding from POBAL Dormant A/C to run two Youth Employability Initiativea, one in Arklow and one in Bray.
The project was run over a one year period and facilitated 30 young people, aged 18-24 years. All 30 young people had been on the live register for over four months and were looking for support to help get into training or employment.
The programme used various methods to help the participants to develop the social, emotional and cognitive skills necessary for developing career identity and work readiness. It included a programme made up of short modules, CV preparation, application support and work placements which were offered and supported by local business. The programme was run from the VAULT – Arklow Youth Centre
A youth worker was employed to mentor all participants and identified areas they were interested in pursuing. The mentor then made contact with local employers to arrange work experience in specific areas for the young people.
Of the 30 young people who took part in the initiative, nine have moved on to employment while the other 21 have moved into further education or training.
The initiative has helped the young adults who participated to understand their options and supports within their community and helped the community understand the needs of young people and their commitment to an innovative way of learning.