Particpants of the CRAFT employability programme for young people in the North Down area were awarded at a recent ceremony.
Presenting the awards at the YMCA in Bangor was Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry.
The Minister said: “The focus of this joint pilot initiative is to help young unemployed people in the North Down area acquire the skills to gain jobs. My Department’s Employment Service and Careers Service advisers worked closely with unemployed young people to assess their skills gaps and agree how best to address them. This initiative is a prime example of strong co-operation between the voluntary sector and government bringing real benefits to young people. North Down YMCA deserves recognition for their role in this initiative and I congratulate the young people here today who have successfully completed the programme.”
CRAFT [Careers Related Advice and Further Training] is a joint pilot initiative between North Down YMCA, the Department for Employment and Learning and the South Eastern Regional College (SERC).
The CRAFT programme comprised of a 12 week structured programme of Careers Guidance Clinics, Employment Adviser liaison and a series of personal development and training opportunities provided by SERC and North Down YMCA.
The Minister concluded: “I am committed to improving the employability of our young people. As well as the CRAFT scheme in North Down, I have recently introduced the Youth Employment Scheme (YES) throughout Northern Ireland which provides a package of new measures which will help young people gain experience, acquire new skills and find employment. As part of YES, my Department is also operating ‘JobClubs’Â? in many areas across the network, including North Down. These are specifically aimed at 18-24 year olds and offer young people advice on job applications, interview techniques, CV building and potential volunteering opportunities.”
Stuart Buchanan, Director of North Down YMCA, said: “The 12 week CRAFT programme has been a huge success. Eight young people have completed all aspects of this pilot scheme, developing and enhancing their employment skills as a result. Several have now found employment or enrolled in further education, and are much clearer about the career pathways they’d like to pursue. The young people actively participated throughout the 12 weeks, taking responsibility for their own learning. Identifying the skills and qualities they already had, they explored how these can transfer into a work environment. Through the CRAFT programme, this group of young people have had an opportunity to recognise just how talented they are, North Down YMCA wish them every success in their future career paths.”