New Work Connections Island Opportunites

by J Roberts
(North Wales)

A new EU funded intitiative is launching soon on the island to help people into skills training and employment.

Anglesey New Work Connections will be showcasing the many ways it can help during an open day and information event at Canolfan Byron, Mona Industrial Park, near Gwalchmai on Thursday, March 29th.

Have you been unemployed for a long time? Finding it hard to get a job, or develop a new skill or go into further education or training?

With the global economic conditions still very challenging and growth proving elusive and difficult to restart, the impact has been very hard on many local people.

The European funded New Work Connections project makes available intensive support for people who for many reasons may be finding it difficult to get into the labour market.

This may includie people with a work limiting health condition or disability, those over 50, or lone parents looking after children as well as 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, training or employment.

New Work Connections Pathways Advisor, Elin Williams, encourages people looking for guidance and a new opportunity to attend the above event.

Ms Williams said, "The New Work Connections project can provide intensive one to one support, access to volunteering and employment."

"We’ve already helped a number of people improve their social skills - improving their confidence, motivation, and self esteem - which are essential in order to succeed in today’s jobs market."

One of the success stories the New Work Connections project on Anglesey is Jamie Wilson, 22, of Valley.

His father Paul explained, "Jamie has been working at the Canolfan Byron Workshop since last May. He started off fairly unconfident, but slowly, with the support of the staff, his confidence has improved and has worked his way up to working the machinery there, which is used to cut wood, and inputting computer data, which is something that he thoroughly enjoys. He absolutely loves it there."

He added, “His confidence, social skills, his practical awareness of people around him and his feeling of worth on a day-to-day basis of doing something that he feels is of use, has improved immensely."

Another area where people could develop a new skill is in traditional building craft, which is an area offering both a means to preserve the heritage of Wales as well as a boost to the regional economy.

Just consider that traditional buildings, which are those built before 1919, represent about 34% of the total stock in Wales, the highest percentage od such buildings in the UK.

CADW has been involved indeveloping craft skills and is a parnter in the Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme. It is also important to keep up to date with changing systems, techniques and products in the mainstream construction industry.

So the Anglesey New Work Connections could provide the opportunity for people who may be interested in developing craft skills as well as those in light engineering and modern construction.

As shown above, there are chances to nurture soft, transferable skills and boost confidence.

The open day and information event will be held between 10.00am-3.00pm at Canolfan Byron, Mona Industrial Park, near Gwalchmai.

For more information about Anglesey New Work Connections call: 01407 721 959

Photo provided by L.Stock, Eastbourne.

For more local stories and articles, subscribe to our free Anglesey Newsletter here. It's as easy as 1-2-3!