Young people in Bangor and Holywood had a chance to meet potential employers face to face at a Youth Employment Scheme work placement event recently. Held in the Kilcooley Community Forum in Bangor, it was organised by DEL’s Employment Service in partnership with local representatives, the local business sector, and community and voluntary groups.
Its aim was to help local young unemployed people between the ages of 18-24 discover how they can benefit from the opportunities the Youth Employment Scheme (YES) has to offer to enhance their future employability prospects. Attending the event, Employment Minister Dr Stephen Farry said: “I commend the employers here today for their commitment to the Youth Employment Scheme by facilitating and enabling the skills development of our next generation.
“Employers can support this initiative by providing short and long-term work experience placements. This is much more than employers meeting their corporate social responsibility commitments, this is about investing in the development of their workforce, with government support, to improve their business performance and grow our local economy.”
At the event young people were able to talk face to face with employers with a view to obtaining a work placement opportunity. Among the employers taking part representing various sectors were First Source Solutions, O’Hare and McGovern, Crossroads Caring for Carers, Convergys, Eventsec and The Salty Dog hotel and bistro.
The minister continued: “This event has provided an opportunity for young people in the Bangor area to have a real interview with employers, who can provide them with experience through a work placement that will help them to compete for jobs by sampling the world of work and developing employability skills.”
The Youth Employment Scheme is a voluntary programme for young unemployed people aged between 18 and 24. It offers the opportunity to develop basic job search skills such as CV building, application writing and interview skills. YES also offers work experience opportunities lasting from three to eight weeks across all sectors.