College gives jobless a chance

Twenty unemployed young people from West Lothian are to be given six months work experience and training by Oatridge College, under a project which has attracted funding from the government’s Future Jobs Fund (FJF) and the LEADER rural development initiative.

Interviews to select the first group of ten 18 to 24 year olds are already underway and those chosen will work for four days per week in the on-campus Scottish National Equestrian Centre, the College stables or golf course, on the Oatridge estate, in the animal care department or in administration. They will also have one day per week for formal training, with the aim of making them more prepared for the jobs market.

The FJF will provide £130,000 and LEADER £37,000 towards the total cost of the £174,000, year-long project.

The search is also on for Workforce Development Supervisor who will work with the two groups to provide support and guidance to the individual members.

There are currently 1,645 unemployed 16 -24 year olds in West Lothian and the area generally has a higher jobless rate than the rest of Scotland (4.8% against 4.2%). It is estimated however by Lantra, the sector skills council for the landbased and environmental industries, that Scotland will need 86,000 recruits in the next ten years and even now, there are serious problems filling vacancies.

Adrian Kitchen, director of business and curriculum development at Oatridge, says: “We firmly believe that the young people selected to take up this opportunity for genuine work experience and training will, at the end of the six months, stand a far better chance of finding a permanent job in one of the landbased industries.

“Our objective is to interview each of the individuals identified for us by Job Centre Plus and find people who are a good fit for the range of jobs we have available. It will not only benefit them greatly, but will be of real benefit the local economy as well.”