Minister Opens Work Placement Event In Bangor

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry has officially opened a Youth Employment Scheme (YES) work placement event held in the Kilcooley Community Forum in Bangor.

The work placement event was organised by DEL's Employment Service in partnership with local representatives, the local business sector and community and voluntary groups, to help local young unemployed people between the ages of 18-24 in the Bangor and Holywood areas discover how they can benefit from the opportunities the Youth Employment Scheme has to offer to enhance their future employability prospects.

The Minister 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 YES is a voluntary programme for young unemployed people aged between 18 and 24. The Scheme 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, allowing participants to experience the world of work and develop employability skills.

(CD/JP)