Member Article

MoD putting the boot into unemployment

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Kier Construction are calling on local businesses to provide work experience as part of a groundbreaking new programme to encourage local unemployed residents into work.

The programme will offer five weeks of work experience with local businesses for up to 30 Teesside residents who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), as well as vocational training delivered by Hartlepool College and Hartlepool Training and Employment Services.

The work experience and training will be combined with an Army Reserve insight course at the Defence Training Estate at Wathgill Camp in North Yorkshire.

During this week-long residential programme, participants will develop their teambuilding, leadership and communication skills under the watchful eye of Sergeant Major Mark Hill, the Army’s youth engagement officer for the North-East.

Each trainee will receive experience in the workplace, a guaranteed interview and could see potential apprenticeship placements or job offers as a result.

Kier and the MoD are looking for potential businesses to offer these placements and support the local community.

All businesses will be invited to an employer briefing day at Hartlepool College, Stockton Street, Hartlepool, TS24 7NT on Friday (July 18) from 9.30am, where they will be briefed on the benefits of the scheme, how vocational training works and what can be expected from the programme.

As a minimum, all trainees will gain a Construction Skills Certificate Scheme card, as well as learning first aid, health & safety procedures, material handling, asbestos awareness and understanding personal protective equipment by the end of the course.

Sergeant Major Mark Hill said: “This is a great initiative that benefits everyone involved, but most importantly develops the life skills of young people so that they can more actively compete in the labour market.”

To recruit the trainees, the MoD and Kier have teamed up with employment and training provider Ingeus and Jobcentre Plus, who deliver the government’s Work Programme in the North-East.

Terry Hanlon, Kier regional corporate social responsibility manager, added: “We are aiming to provide a talent pool of people who are ready and willing to work, and have the ‘can-do’ attitude so desperately required by so many employers.

“We still need more local employers to offer placements and would urge them to come along on the 8th to discuss what placements or opportunities they can offer and see how this programme can benefit them as well as the local residents looking to get into work.”

Gus Robinson Developments chairman, Dan Robinson, said: “After serving for 13 years in the military myself, I understand fully, the value that service leavers can add to organisations.

“It’s important for other businesses to understand the unique skill-sets that these people bring with them.”

For information on how your company can get involved, contact Sergeant Major Hill on 07775 432266 / 15x-mci-yeo@mod.uk or Terry Hanlon on 07875 995309 / terry.hanlon@kier.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .