Two apprentices have now gained full time employment as a result of Action for Children’s Youthbuild Project. The pair worked as a labourer and apprentice electrician on the new gym hall at Kirkliston Primary School opened officially by the Lord Provost this morning, and were invited along as guests of honour.
Jacob Gallagher now works for Hadden Construction Ltd and Ryan Finnie works with Ingen Technical Services (Formerly Dalziel Mechanical services) who are the M&E subcontractors. Both are aged 20 and have become firm friends as a result of working together.
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Youthbuild is a construction training project specifically designed and tailored for young people who are already in touch with statutory services, such as social work, criminal justice or formal care settings and those who are at risk of requiring intensive support.
The project is designed for young people aged 16-24 who are unemployed and who may have other issues restricting their ability to access the jobs market. Poor educational attainment and disadvantage are often exacerbated by problems of drug and alcohol misuse and criminal convictions.
The council has completed the first phase of the £5.25 million extension to the school which includes a new gym, dining hall and 3G pitch.
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh the Rt Hon Donald Wilson was the special guest of honour at the event. He was accompanied by Councillor Paul Godzik the Convener of Education.
The new wing has been created at the rear of the school providing the new gym and dining halls and related changing facilities. There is also a brand new 3G sports pitch, increased parking and the school’s old hall has been subdivided to provide two additional teaching spaces.
In addition to the new school buildings the capacity at the nearby nursery in Kirkliston has been increased from 40 pupils in both the morning and afternoon to 70.
Funding of £4.9m towards the new school extension is being provided by housing developers due to the large number of new homes in the village which has meant an increase in children at the school.
Work is already well underway on building five new classrooms which will be ready for use by August 2016. The final phase will be a further three classrooms which will follow next year.
The gym and separate dining hall can be used together as a big hall for major school or community events.
Acting Head Teacher, Irene Whitford, said: “The new hall has been a fabulous asset to the school as we can have two classes having gym at the same time and when the hall is opened up to one big hall it is a fantastic space which now accommodates all the children and parents too.
“The children were so excited by the 3G pitch which again can take two classes using it at once. The children can use it at break time and lunch for their own games and the After School Club is able to use it too. It’s a great space and can be used in all weathers. It’s fantastic to see it being used and I love showing it off to new families moving into the village.
“As the school continues to grow we are looking forward to the eight new classrooms, five of which will be ready for the children in August. We have already chosen the colour schemes and furniture and it will great to have these classrooms as part of the main building.”
The young people with whom Youthbuild work are likely to have chaotic lifestyles and face multiple challenges; this will include frequent change of address and unreliable support networks. Many will have had experience of Local Authority Care or custody. The project is unique, in terms of the integrated emphasis on both addressing labour market skills deficit and tackling social issues.
The project addresses offending behaviour and offers an alternative to custody programme which attempts to re-integrate young people to their community and improve their economic potential. The key elements of the project focus on induction and preparation, work experience, relevant training, personal support, and core skills and development. The programme delivers 150 opportunities within 7 locations in Scotland.
Sector specific training reflects local market demand and Regional Skills Assessment analysis e.g. 160 starts on Construction MAs in 2014, the predicted 13% increase in construction employment to 2022 and the available jobs in the retail customer services industry. Through vocational training/certificates and industry-led qualifications we will prepare individuals to enter the workplace, demonstrating competency for site work.
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