Getting Frome’s young unemployed into work

Learning new skills in Frome.

OVER the last five weeks, Mindset Training, Frome Town Council and Working Links have been busy helping Frome’s young unemployed through an innovative ‘get into work’ scheme. 

The project was specifically developed to equip six of Frome’s young unemployed with the necessary training and qualifications to enable them to seek sustainable jobs in construction.

Neil McGuinness, Mindset Training managing director, who is based in Frome said, “Future Works delivers a fabulous foundation level of construction training and experience for the candidates.”

A local project, Welshmill Gate Access Road, (which was necessary to allow Wessex Water to have access) was identified, tendered for and won in competition against other contractors. Built into the tender were proposals for the employment of six young Frome people. Most work was on site but also in the classroom on theory, interview techniques and CV writing. Various practical qualifications like health and safety, without which individuals cannot work on a construction site, were achieved.

Candidates were not the only ones to benefit. Frome Town Council have had  two of their permanent staff trained for free, and project costs were kept down through sponsorship from local companies – Sydenham’s, Mole Valley Farmers and Tipadel very generously gave substantial discounts.

The local community also benefits as their young unemployed get into work and finally, the construction industry benefits as it receives increased access to qualified, basically experienced, young employees – 21st Century Construction Workers.

Six Frome candidates started the project, two found construction was not for them and two have been placed in jobs already. Mindset are very confident that the last two candidates will be placed in long term employment over the next few weeks. Not a bad return for a four week pilot project.

Mel Usher, leader of FTC said, “This was a great scheme, we are in danger of losing a whole generation of youngsters. Research has shown that if you are unemployed for too long soon after leaving school or college you can struggle to get a job for many years to come. We want to replicate this project and we will be looking at work we intend to do elsewhere in the town…. this is what partnerships should be about.”

When asked what advice he would give to other possible candidates, Harry, one of the Future Works candidates said, “Do it, you’re going to get so many qualifications.”

Frazer, another candidate also said, “Definitely do it, put the effort in and you’ll get through.”

When answering the question – ‘What was the worst moment of the project?’, Frazer said, “I don’t think there was a dull moment really… no not a dull moment.”

The Future Works project now moves on to the next stage. Mindset Training hope that many more projects will be forthcoming from Frome Town Council and beyond this from the district councils and Somerset as a whole.

Future Works is scalable and virtually infinitely adaptable to any construction related project such as environmental, conservation, building, landscaping etc., not just road construction.