| TRAINEESHIPS LEAD TO EMPLOYMENT |
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We are nearing the end of our second year of providing traineeships under the Skills Training for Employment Progression (STEP) Programme during which time people with disabilities have been offered employment and training for a fixed term up to one year.This programme is funded by EU BSP funding arrangements.
Over the two year period of the programme trainees have been placed in various posts within our manufacturing unit and administration to provide them with an opportunity to learn new on the job skills, combined with recognised accredited qualifications, in a vocational area of their choice.
The programme has been a huge success for the individual trainees involved and for the core employees as well as some had the chance to become mentors to the trainees and to gain the CIPD Certificate in Mentoring at the same time.
Part of the purpose of the programme is to progress the trainees into paid mainstream employment and over the first year 11 out of 17 trainees moved on to other jobs either during the course of the year or at the end of their contract with us. One other took up a voluntary post and we are continuing to work with the remaining people through our employment support programmes.
In this current year 7 trainees to date have already managed to secure employment with a further 3 trainees guaranteed jobs when their contract ends. The remaining 4 are working hard, putting their new found skills to good use as they conduct job searches, apply for and attend interviews for jobs in a variety of areas including production, warehousing, retail and administration.
This hard work will continue through to the end of the programme with the trainees now much better placed, having gained valuable skills and through an increase in their confidence and motivation, to gain positions of their choice in mainstream employment.
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| Linda Laird |
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