Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has approved a second phase of a £30,000 work experience scheme for post-primary pupils.
A total of 67 teenagers took part in the first phase of a “pioneering” work experience programme, co-ordinated by Workplus Ltd, with placements provided by 28 employers in sectors including engineering, banking, business, retail, media production and hospitality.
The local authority offered nine placement opportunities with four being taken up in leisure, parks and media departments.
The schools involved in the programme included Abbey Community College, Integrated College Glengormley, Riverside School, Antrim, Jordanstown School and Hill Croft School, Newtownabbey.
A report presented to the council’s Economic Development Committee recently said that the initiative “demonstrated the breadth of opportunities available within our local area and streamlined the placement process”.
It stated that the key aims were to “co-ordinate meaningful work experience for pupils before they made their post-GCSE decisions, widening access to opportunities, offer placements in a variety of sectors” as well as inspiring career choices; providing work-based learning and key employability skills”.
It is also intended to “build confidence in young people as they enter the world of work”.
Speaking at the meeting, Majella McAlister, director of economic development and planning, explained that the programme was to address a lack of formal engagement between schools and businesses in the borough, particularly during the Covid pandemic, when this had broken down resulting in a lack of formal relationships and opportunity to bring about work placements.
She went on to say that the pilot created a platform to “partner and pro-actively take part” with supervision and support for students.
The director reported “significant participation” from the borough’s SEN (special educational needs) schools across the borough,
She added: “Our hope is to be able to increase participation on both sides and we would just roll it out and have it as an opportunity for schools right across the borough.”
Antrim SDLP Councillor Roisin Lynch said: “I am happy to propose the recommendation, I was lucky enough to go to the celebration event. It was exceptional. You could see that the model really works and the provider worked very easily with the schools and the employers and created a sense of security that delivered for the young people.
“They were given opportunities in hotels and retail settings in a secure, safe way and were able to discover that they can do these things. Often it is very hard to get people to do the roles that the young people people were really excited about learning. I would be really keen that we get it in place .”
The recommendation was seconded by Airport DUP representative Alderman Matthew Magill.
