Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Work scheme is just the job
Project helps get 120 people off dole
A PROJECT which has helped 120 long-term unemployed people find a job has been hailed as “lifechanging”.
Employability South has come to the rescue for those out of work because of low educational attainment, disability and health issues, lack of experience and other factors.
More than 500 people took part in the programme based in South Belfast with one man saying it “changed his life”.
A special celebration event for the scheme, which will be wound up at the end of this month, was held at the Wellington Park Hotel.
It is one of the employers that participated in the programme, offering three work placements and employing two people. Jamie Annet, who now has a full -time job at the hotel, said taking part in the project had changed his life. He added: “After leaving college I spent an entire year applying for jobs – I must have put in over 100 applications.
“It was such a low point in my life. I was really feeling depressed, sitting around the house doing nothing. “Employability South gave me the chance to build up my skills and self-confidence. “They re-worked my CV, I did two qualifications and they helped focus my job hunt. My three-month placement has turned into a full-time job and I have recently been promoted to supervisor.” The programme, which benefitted from £2.2million Social Investment Fund support, was delivered by GEMS NI who are seeking new funding to support more people back to work.