4th August 2014
Works 4 You is a social enterprise based in Cleator Moor providing training and employment opportunities in home and landscape improvements. Any income generated from Works 4 You is gift aided to registered charity Home to Work Ltd.
Home to Work received funding from the NMP Community Fund last year to contribute towards the Skills 4 You project.
With high levels of unemployment throughout Copeland, it has been a success for Skills 4 You and Home to Work to have released all of their pilot course graduates either into the working world of employment or into further traineeships and apprenticeships, with the skill of joinery.
The course is aimed at 16 to 24 year olds and focusses on giving young unemployed people valuable skills to aid them into further employment. Sheila Moffat, Works 4 You Director said: “Home to Work has been trying to tackle unemployment for some time, so we just want to prove this can benefit the community; so you can imagine we were more than excited to see our first group all go either straight into employment or into traineeships at Lakes College”
“We have the intake of young people on to the course in 7 week cycles, throughout the course they learn more than just the skill of joinery as we aim to help them in all fields, and to grow into more professional, social and employable young people.”
The course gives those on it valuable employment skills along with a allowing previously unemployed people to socialise with a new group of people, create bonds, and learn in a safe, comfortable and supportive environment. It provides a range of learning opportunities including short courses and basic skills leading to appropriate mainstream accredited courses. Activities include furniture restoration, recycling salvaged timber to include garden furniture making, local community/organisation’s furniture projects e.g. planters, picnic tables; and creating simple wooden items e.g. small toys, bird boxes, bird tables, wooden sandpits.
Their mentoring continues after the course has finished as Nigel Goddard, Skills 4 You Co-ordinator, commented “All of these young men are provided support, mentors, employability and friends. It was truly beyond my wildest dreams to see every single lad off our first intake go on to bigger and better opportunities.”
The course currently only offers a course joinery every two months, but one day they do hope to expand, Sheila Moffat hopefully stated “We need to walk before we can run, we have a 7 or 8 intake every 7 or 8 weeks, but maybe one day we can see the it venturing on to new skills, like masonry.”