A NEW employment programme will offer more than 100 job opportunities for young people in Leigh.
The programme, ran in collaboration with Leigh Sports Village, Wigan Youth Zone and JobCentre, will offer people aged 18-24 training, an intensive mentoring programme, and employment opportunities with businesses in the area.
Located at the new Youth Hub at Leigh Sports Village, the Pathway 2 Employment Programme (P2E) will offer support up to 115 young people who are out of work.
Designed to support young people into employment, the programme offer support and advice on which career path to take and any further qualifications they will need or take on the job.
The young people will also be connected to local organisations within Leigh and the wider Wigan borough; providing them with CV writing skills, interview preparation and technique, jobs and apprenticeships, as well as helping them to build resilience.
The programme will take place over the next 12 months, with local businesses and partners and businesses helping to improve the employment prospects of long-term unemployed young people, supporting them in overcoming barriers and securing a job in the area.
Head of Operations at Wigan Youth Zone, Sikander Ali, said: “Over the last 10 years since launching our successful employability programme in Wigan, which has seen over 400 young people get into further education or employment, we have had a real focus on the provision of training and support to our communities.
"This new partnership extends that with a clear offer to support young people into employment at an economically challenging time.”
“We are looking forward to working closely with Leigh Sports Village, JobCentre Plus and Wigan Council to ensure the success of P2E at Leigh Youth Hub, which will play a key part in supporting young people disproportionately affected by a number of economic issues to access the job market.”
Wigan Youth Zone’s Senior Employment Advisor, Amy Stark, based at Leigh Youth Hub, added: “The P2E programme truly helps our young people by providing them with an opportunity to learn new skills, build new networks and take their first steps into the world of work.
"We want to help young people get their careers off to a flying start as unemployment at a young age can leave permanent scarring - and means they’re more likely to earn less over the course of their working lives and experience more spells of unemployment.
"I would encourage any young person ready to start their career to sign up for our employability programme to unlock and fulfil their potential.”
For more information about the Youth Hub employment programme, email Amy.Stark@wiganyouthzone.org
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