Targeted help for ‘workless households’

Households where no-one works because they lack qualifications, have limited employment records, or because they have a disability, are to be helped by a specialist Carmarthenshire Communities First team.

The Lift Programme, funded by Welsh Government, will be based in Llanelli Town Centre, and will support people from workless households who have been unemployed for over six months to find training and employment.

The programme supports the Tackling Poverty agenda and aims to provide 5,000 training and employment opportunities across Wales.

Here in Carmarthenshire, a specialist team has been put together with staff experienced in working with hard-to-reach groups.

Senior Mentor Alex Morgan said: “We are looking forward to supporting people to move forward and lift themselves out of poverty.

“The Lift Programme focuses on supporting those who face the greatest barriers to becoming employable, such as young single parent households; those who have little or no formal qualifications or have a weak employment record.

“We will also support people who struggle to find sustainable employment because they have a disability.”

Carmarthenshire is one of eight Communities First clusters in Wales piloting the Lift programme, ensuring support is focused in the most deprived areas.

Cllr Meryl Gravell, Executive Board Member for regeneration, said: “It is great to have such an experienced team whose sole focus will be to support people to gain meaningful employment. Helping people to lift themselves out of poverty is a key objective, and this programme fits in so well with all our other efforts to create sustainable job opportunities for local people.”

For further information call 01554 784847.