The winds of change are blowing for jobs scheme
A wind farm project is set to power jobs for unemployed youths in East Ayrshire.
Banks Renewables has signed an agreement with Netherthird Community Action Training ( NCAT), which will result in a five- year contract creating 60 new paid traineeships for locals.
Placements will range from 4- 8 week courses to full year- long stints.
NCAT is a local social enterprise that provides a range of traineeships to 17- 24 year olds not in education, employment or training.
The trainees will undertake landscape management, habitat creation, general groundworks and land management duties on Banks Renewables’ proposed Lethans Wind Farm, should the plans be given the go ahead.
NCAT founder Jamie Campbell, 26, said: “The proposed partnership with Banks Renewables is an extremely exciting opportunity for us.
“As a former mining community, this area has been hit hard by unemployment in recent years with a real lack of opportunities for young people to access employment.
“An opportunity such as this with Banks Renewables would be tremendous for this area and would give a lifeline to so many young unemployed people, who just need this kind of opportunity to change their futures forever.”
Plans for the 22 turbine Lethans Community Wind Farm, situated east of New Cumnock, will go to committee at the end of this month. If approved, Hamilton- based Banks will allow local communities the opportunity to buy up to a five per cent share in the project. Other benefits include £ 250,000 towards new mountain biking facilities and a community fund worth around £ 8 million over the lifetime of the project.
Lewis Stokes, of Banks, said: “We’re excited to bring forward the diverse range of benefits associated with our Lethans wind farm proposals and we are delighted to be able to work with NCAT.
“The Netherthird Community Action Training ( NCAT) scheme is exactly the type of programme that we strive to support with our community wind farms and I really hope that we get a positive planning decision for this project, which will deliver huge socio- economic benefits for the people of this part of East Ayrshire.”
The firm insists that upwards of £ 15 million could flow into the area through local contracts delivering a variety of services, from aggregate supply to catering facilities.
Banks Renewables, part of the Banks Group, employs around 400 people in renewable energy, property and mining.