A-Level & GCSE Results Days

The past few years has seen a major rise in young people aged 16 – 24 who are either unable, or are taking longer, to make the first move from education into work.

The skills now required for first jobs have made it harder for many young people to get a foot in the jobs market and they need help to get connected to today’s world of work as they leave school. They need personalised guidance, introductions to business networks and training opportunities, as well as work experience which leads to paid employment.

One Carmarthenshire/Un Sir Gar is a new and unique project, designed to bring together all advice, information, training, voluntary and employment opportunities in Carmarthenshire. It is a first stop shop, FREE phone number of 0800 9173 408, which aims to make life a lot easier for those young people who want to obtain work, education and training, or are unsure of the right path for them.

Un Sir Gar advisers, who have knowledge of opportunities and services available, will identify a path for each client according to their skills, experience and needs. It could be a job, a community or voluntary post to build confidence prior to searching for paid employment; it could be apprenticeship opportunities with local businesses, work experience with appropriate organisations, or training in a wide and varied range of industries and skills. Clients will be signposted to the relevant organisations/employers suited to meet their needs. Ongoing support will also be provided.

Executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “More needs to be done to support young people at this crucial point in their lives and Un Sir Gar is geared up to address this aim.

“The team can provide young people with support and provide a better understanding of services across the authority, schools, employers and the third sector to prevent more young people from falling through the gaps in provision.”

The vision is to deliver a service to provide an enhanced single point of contact resolution service for young people seeking to gain employment and voluntary opportunities whilst enabling them to access information on learning and skills within Carmarthenshire.

The project is supported by key partners including Job Centre Plus, Coleg Sir Gar, Careers Wales and Carmarthenshire County Council, who share the ambition to provide a unique, seamless approach to supporting young people with learning and employment needs.

For further information, please contact the One Carmarthenshire team, free on 0800 9173 408 or visit www.onecarmarthenshire.co.uk