BUILDING firm Kier Construction and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are calling on local businesses to provide work experience as part of a groundbreaking new programme to encourage unemployed people into work.

The programme will offer five weeks of work experience with local businesses for up to 30 Teesside residents who are not in education, employment or training, as well as vocational training delivered by Hartlepool College and Hartlepool Training and Employment Services.

The work experience and training will be combined with an Army Reserve insight course at the Defence Training Estate at Wathgill Camp in North Yorkshire. During this week-long residential programme, participants will develop their teambuilding, leadership and communication skills under the watchful eye of Sergeant Major Mark Hill, the Army’s youth engagement officer for the north-east.

Each trainee will receive experience in the workplace, a guaranteed interview and could see potential apprenticeship placements or job offers as a result. Kier and the MoD are looking for potential businesses to offer these placements and support the local community.

All businesses will be invited to an employer briefing day at Hartlepool College,on Friday July 18 at 9:30, where they will be briefed on the benefits of the scheme, how vocational training works and what can be expected from the programme.

As a minimum, all trainees will gain a Construction Skills Certificate Scheme card, as well as learning first aid, health & safety procedures, material handling, asbestos awareness and understanding personal protective equipment by the end of the course.

Sergeant Major Mark Hill said: “This is a great initiative that benefits everyone involved, but most importantly develops the life skills of young people so that they can more actively compete in the labour market.”

For information on how your company can get involved, email Sgt Major Hill at 15x-mci-yeo@mod.uk or Terry Hanlon at terry.hanlon@kier.co.uk