Bike project receives youth employment accolade!

Trainees at a business which helps young people get back on track have given a thumbs up to the project.

The youths involved says Shetland Community Bike Project has given them skills and confidence for the workplace.

The project has been recognised Scotland-wide and was named Skills Development Scotland’s Youth Employer of the Month for its role in providing employment and volunteering opportunities for young people facing barriers to work. That includes things such as mental health, drug or alcohol-related issues.

Since being set up in 1999, the Shetland Community Bike Project has achieved a 75 per cent success rate in finding work for its trainees once their six-month course is up. The last intake was 100 per cent successful in finding work and were still in employment after six-months, project manager Caroline Adamson said.

Alvar Foster, who was referred by the Jobcentre, and had no previous experience of bike repairing said the project was good fun and should offer real advantages to the young unemployed seeking a job.

He added: “I think the benefits are that it lets people who would not necessarily be very employable get experience working so that they can then go on and have further employment.

“It is a good place for you to go if you have not got much experience. It shows me what having a job is like. If I can get the mind-set down then it should probably help with further interviews and gives you general skills. And you can do specific skills if you want a specific job working on bikes.”

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