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Partnership working to get local people into employment

Published: 26/03/2015

Flintshire Communities First and local businesses, Delyn Safety and Jackson Fire and Security, have been working in partnership to provide employment and training opportunities for local people. The partnership has come about through the Lift programme, which is an ambitious Welsh Government scheme to provide, by the end of 2017, 5,000 training and employment opportunities across Wales for people living in households where no-one is in work. The programme is not aimed at those who are temporarily out of work but focuses on those who have spent more than six months out of work. It is for those people who face the greatest barriers to becoming employable, which includes young single parents, adults with few or no formal qualifications, people with poor employment records and disabled people. Research shows that people in households with these characteristics are much less likely to gain employment than others. Darrell Griffiths has been out of work for over 12 months and he attended a six week work placement at Delyn Safety UK Ltd in Mold. Councillor Derek Butler visited Delyn Safety recently to meet the team and Darrell, and to present Darrell with a certificate for his achievement. He said: “This is a fantastic Welsh Government scheme that the Council is more than happy to support – getting people into work and training is a key Council priority. This has been a pilot project for both the business and the Lift team and the partnership is growing stronger all the time.” Mike Joy from Delyn Safety said: “Delyn Safety UK Ltd has been proud to have been a part of the Lift programme and we wish to support the programme going forward. We hope that Darrell has gained an insight into a new way of working which he can take on with him to increase his job prospects. Darrell Griffiths said: “The Lift programme is well needed in the community to help the long term unemployed gain the skills needed, which you can only get through the work placements, and in turn to get back into employment. I enjoyed my placement very much, I learned new skills that I never had before and they are a stepping stone from unemployment to employment. Caption: Pictured left to right are Steve Hand, Lydia Gent (Jackson Fire and Security), Teresa Allen (Communities First), Darrell Griffiths (with certificate), Councillor Derek Butler and Mike Joy (Delyn Safety).