Fife Youth Job Contract Gets Employer Boost

A major three year programme to tackle Youth Unemployment was issued in Fife and was approved In December. 

The investment, worth £5 million, aims to support 16 to 24 year olds into apprenticeships.

The three year programme presents an opportunity to make a significant and lasting difference to the young people in Fife by creating between 500 and 600 programme places working with the private, public, voluntary sectors and Fife Council.

A Programme Implementation Board will be formed to ensure effective engagement with employers and stakeholders.  The Board will be chaired by Councillor Tony Martin, the recently appointed Youth Employment Ambassador for Fife Council.  Board members will consist of representatives from Skills Development Scotland, Fife’s colleges, Fife NHS, Fife Chamber of Commerce, The Federation of Small Business, the Department of Work & Pensions, the Voluntary sector and key services in Fife Council.

Councillor Tony Martin said: “This programme will address issues of youth unemployment in Fife on a large scale, providing a robust vehicle for delivery through the strong partnership approaches in Fife.  We aim to deliver programme interventions with clear leadership at the heart of it to prevent the loss of young talent in Fife."

Havelock Europa, the Alternative Investment Market-listed interiors manufacturer, has signalled its return to health with the establishment of a "Havelock Academy" apprenticeship scheme.

Havelock employs some 450 people in Fife, split between its Dalgety Bay headquarters, its factory in Kirkcaldy and warehouses at Dysart. It says the new scheme, offering modern apprenticeships to school-leavers and others, is an investment in the firm's future in Fife.

The announcement came as Havelock unveiled a positive trading statement suggesting it would return to profitability this year after rationalising the business and slashing debt.

Eric Prescott, chief executive, said: "This is an ambitious project and one about which I am personally passionate.

"We will provide up to 20 academy places, leading to 12 apprenticeships in Fife.

"The Havelock Academy is a way of passing on skills and experience to the next generation and, more than that, it is about planning for the future for all of us.

"This programme is in addition to the 17 recent new appointments at our factory in Kirkcaldy." READ MORE

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