Twenty five young people have secured employment with Derry City Council under the Department of Learning and Employment’s Collaboration and Innovation Fund, a new programme to boost youth employment.
Targeted at young people between the ages of 16 and 24 years old, in particular those who are not in employment, education or training, the programme offers a year’s work experience to help develop the skills and confidence to grasp the opportunities to build successful careers.
The employees are mentored and coached by staff to aid them to settle into working life and also to avail of educational and personal development opportunities as they arise.
All of the work placements are based in Derry City Council, in various departments.
Those currently placed include one general operative, six groundsmen, three street cleansers, three community services assistants, one marketing support assistant, one human resources assistant, one assistant biodiversity officer, one grounds maintenance clerical assistant, four waste management clerical assistants, one museum assistant, one events and festivals support officer, two digital archiving assistants, and one customer service assistant.
A further six young people have been offered places and will be placed early in the New Year.
Derry City Council is the only Council in Northern Ireland to offer the programme. The participants each have access to a considerable training budget and with the assistance of the project officer choose appropriate learning to progress their career.
In December 2012, Employment and Learning Minister, Dr. Stephen Farry, announced that the Department for Employment and Learning would fund 18 projects submitted under the Collaboration and Innovation Fund, with the Intermediary Labour Market programme being one of them.
The Collaboration and Innovation Fund is part of a range of initiatives under the Executive’s NEET Strategy entitled Pathways to Success.
Mayor Cllr Martin Reilly welcoming the addition of the ILM placements said: “We are delighted to give something back to the community, especially given the high rate of unemployment young people face in the city and the wasted opportunity of so much talent. Young people are our future so it’s important to develop their skills and knowledge.”
The Mayor concluded: “Derry City Council is glad to provide this opportunity and to benefit from the hard work contributed by our new colleagues.”
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