DOZENS of young NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) have secured jobs with regional companies thanks to a youth unemployment charity.
In the last two months alone seven young people who were given work experience placements with The Employability Trust have been taken on by industry employers.
One of the young people now in full-time work is Michael Tomlinson. The 23-year-old from Horden spent just two weeks at fine dining catering specialist provider Goodfellow and Goodfellow before MD Valda Goodfellow offered him a full-time job.
Michael said: “I was so pleased to be given the chance to work with Goodfellow and Goodfellow and certainly didn’t expect to be offered a full-time job so soon. But since starting at The Employability Trust, and through the work I’ve been doing with Peterlee Business Park Group, I’ve really developed and was determined to take the chances which came my way.
“Now I’m in full-time employment and I owe a huge thank you to Bill and the team for helping make that happen.”
Among the other companies who have taken young people from the Peterlee-based charity, on either short-term , permanent or apprenticeship contracts, are BHK, The AMA Group and Seaward Electronic.
Bill Marley said: “Since launching The Employability Trust, 68 young people have been given paid employment which is a success rate second to none.
“These are people who were caught up in the benefits system, many of whom had never worked before and didn’t know where to start. But what they have all demonstrated is a desire to learn and a willingness to better themselves. At the end of their time with us industry companies want to employ them.
“We’ve worked hard to build up a reputation for excellence, an organisation which not only gives young unemployed people the chance to work but one that manufacturing companies can turn to when they want reliable, hard-working and skilled staff.”
During the past 12 months, The Employability Trust, which is based on the South West Industrial Estate in Peterlee, gave 24 young people work experience placements and of those, 21 have gone on to find secure employment with businesses in the local area, representing a massive 87.5 per cent success rate.
Bill added: “At the moment 75 per cent of our team are placed with local companies and for many of them the short-term opportunity given to them will lead to a permanent job.
“We pride ourselves on giving NEETs the chance to gain hands on experience and to learn the work ethics employers look for and when you look at our success rate, it’s clear what we’re doing is working.”
The Employability Trust also directly employed 64 people aged 16 and over on short-term contracts while a third of its workforce is apprentices who have been brought out of the benefits system and given the opportunity to earn while they learn.
The trust works in conjunction with a number of partners to help unemployed young people from across East Durham and since launching, it has secured work with MetroMail, Loricas, Wilsonart, Isabelina and DTA, BHK, Seaward, Goodfellow & Goodfellow and Holcrofts.
