Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘Disappointment’ over turn-out at jobs event
ORGANISERS of a job fair aimed at improving young people’s prospects were left disappointed when no youngsters turned up to the event.
The ACK Champions initiative is aimed at improving young people’s chances of finding employment in Dundee.
The i nitiative focuses on those who are not in full-time education, training or employment.
Held at The Circle — a hub for charities, social enterprises, community groups and businesses in Dundee — Friday’s event was designed to help jobseekers find paid roles with voluntary organisations.
Fifteen organisations, including Police Scotland, Youth Volunteers, Gowrie Care and The Prince’s Trust, were at the fair offering advice for young locals.
ACK Champions manager Paul Hastie said he was “disappointed” youngsters hadn’t turned up — but said that some positives had come from the event.
He said: “It’s a bit disappointing we didn’t have any school children make it, but hopefully we can build and improve on that in future years.
“The aim was to get schools, colleges, universities and youth groups involved, showing there are paid opportunities with charities and non-profit organisations. There have been some positives though, and a brilliant response from the organisations who came along.”
Liam Elphick, 20, one of the ACK Champions who helped organise the event, said: “Being involved with the initiative can help people with their skill set — whether that’s IT skills, business acumen or just general business skills and experience in an office environment.
“Myself and two champions are here to provide support, mentoring and advice to what will hopefully be a new generation of ACK Champions.
“I’d encourage anyone interested i n the project to get involved.
“You learn some great skills and it’s great to have on your CV.”
The ACK Champions initiative project focuses on getting people work-ready but also encouraging them to think about paid roles with voluntary groups.