Posts available for Lanarkshire job scheme

Jan 28 2010 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

MORE than 200 vacancies are available on a scheme aimed at getting South Lanarkshire’s jobless back to work.

The Future Jobs Fund, launched by the government, provides young people and others finding it difficult to secure work with a stepping stone to permanent employment.

Those who join the scheme receive six months’ experience with a range of employers.

They include South Lanarkshire Council, NHS Lanarkshire and 44 voluntary and community sector organisations.

Opportunities with the council include posts such as countryside assistant, trainee animal assistant, road worker assistant, care home worker, environmental assistant and an early years assistant.

There are also a number of administration jobs available.

NHS Lanarkshire are offering a number of trainee posts, ranging from administration and clerical positions through to physiotherapy and support worker opportunities.

These cover a range of locations and are based in hospitals and health centres.

South Lanarkshire Leisure want sports and leisure assistants, while a communications officer is needed at the Haven in Blantyre.

Other posts available include a cook, housekeeper and grounds worker with Wiston Lodge, Clydesdale, youth work trainees at RegenFX, horticulture development worker with TACT in Blantyre, plus administration jobs with credit unions and citizens advice bureaux.

Employers must pay at least the minimum wage and the jobs must last a minimum of six months at 25 hours or more a week to qualify under the Future Jobs scheme.

Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Scotland, Ann McKechin MP, visited South Lanarkshire to see how the scheme was working.

She said: “The council have worked extremely hard to pull together the bids for the funding and we are now seeing these efforts come to fruition.

“Having spoken to people who have found work as a result of the initiative, I am full of optimism for the future of South Lanarkshire.”

Among those who have already found their way back into employment thanks to the Future Jobs Fund is Patrick Bonner (21), from Blantyre, who said: “I’d previously been unemployed for almost 12 months before I got this new job as a café assistant in the Whitlawburn industrial estate. I’m pleased with how it’s going so far and the skills I pick up in the next six months or so will hopefully help me get another job after this one is finished.”

Stacey Marshall, also 21, from Cambuslang, is currently working in admin support with Routes to Work South in the Burnbank Centre, Hamilton.

She said: “I’d been unemployed for nearly a year when I found out about the Future Jobs Fund.

“This job has certainly given me more confidence and I am also learning new computer skills.

“Hopefully this will lead to full-time employment but the skills I have learned are going to help me regardless.”

Kerry Ryder (21), from Kirkmuirhill, who’s working in admin at the reception of Routes to Work South, Lanark, said this week: “Although it would be great to be kept on, this position is giving me more experience for when it comes to applying for my next job.”

Although aimed at 18-24-year-olds, the Future Jobs Fund is open to people of all ages, depending on circumstances.

The fund, which is worth around £1bn, was set up by the UK Government to tackle the rise in unemployment.

Its aim is to create 150,000 jobs nationwide for those who face significant disadvantage in the labour market.

Organisations such as councils are invited to submit applications to the fund for cash to finance “community-focused” posts.