OBJECTIVE ONE FUNDS WORK WORKS! IN BUDE

The Integrated Area Plan for North Cornwall has helped Budehaven Community School access Objective One funding to enable year 10 and 11 students to take up the challenge of finding out what it is like to work locally and where appropriate work towards NVQs.

Tess Hughes, the Project Leader, will be placing young people from a targeted group in local businesses to enable them to have a taste of working life as well as train and be accredited for the skills they acquire. The project enables the young people to learn the work and life skills needed to secure employment once they have left school.

The project aims to include reducing the number of people leaving school with no qualifications and encouraging a learning culture amongst the target beneficiaries.

Work Works! will be helping to meet the need of the local labour market by providing training and qualifications targeted towards local skills gaps. By providing NVQ accreditation for the skills students have acquired, it is hoped that they will gain confidence to further these skills after compulsory education. It is also hoped that they will be on a more equal, if not better footing to that of their peers, when applying for and taking on jobs and training.

The project will be closely monitored and supported by the school, developing strong links with local businesses.

Two of the young people taking advantage of the project are Richard Perkins and Jonathan McBrinn. Both are 15 years old and attend year 10 at Budehaven Community School. They have been placed locally with Seasons at Burn Park.
Richard is employed providing maintenance assistance two days a week. He really enjoys being able to use both his existing skills and new ones. He feels he is able to make decisions based on real things and has been given glowing reports from the people he works with. Richard is also on Work Experience with A J Barkwill a local builder and is working towards NVQ 1 Carpentry and Joinery.

Jonathan is involved in the catering side of Seasons at Burn Park. He does one day a week and the occasional evening and weekend. He is keen to develop his skills because he would like to be a chef with the Navy. He enjoys the fact that he is making a good meal for someone who appreciates what he has done – it is great to get back empty plates!

Robert Regan, another student benefiting from the project, is on work placement locally with Brooks Garden Centre. He has won an award from the BBC ‘Groundforce’ team for designing a wild life garden.

Budehaven Community School were assisted in their bid for European funding for the Work Works! project by Regeneration North Cornwall as part of the Objective One Integrated Area Plan for North Cornwall. The project has been supported by the European Social Fund as well as Bott Ltd, and Y2K Hairdressers.

For further information please contact Tess Hughes at Budehaven Community School on 01288 353271.

Contacts: Check McEwen - IAP Programme Manager Robert Harper - Finance & Administration Manager Regeneration North Cornwall Telephone: 01208 77860 Fax: 01208 75421
Email: admin@regeneration-nc.org.uk