A young Castleford man has defied the rising tide of youth unemployment by launching into his dream job after being out of work for nine months.
Alex Wolstenholme, aged 17, is just one of the young people in the Wakefield area securing exciting new training and job opportunities through the innovative Friday Project.
Finding himself with no work, training or further education, Alex heard about the Friday Project and signed up immediately. Project staff helped him gain qualifications, create a CV and trained him in how and where to look for work.
Within weeks Alex had won a place as Apprentice Web Developer with local web design company Go Media, with the promise of a full time job at the end of it.
“I truly only ever dreamed of doing a job like this and never thought it would really happen for me,” said Alex. “The Friday Project staff were brilliant. They helped me with everything along the way, as well as giving me back my confidence and self esteem”
“Being there I made new friends, learnt new skills and had fun. I’m really grateful to them.”
The Friday Project is based at A4e’s pioneering Vox centre in Pontefract, which brings leading industry expertise into a customised vocational training environment. The Project includes taster sessions in construction, catering and hairdressing, along with sessions on music, art, sexual health and citizenship, as part of its 15-week training programme for 16 to 18-year-olds.
A4e Programme Manager Steve Tasker said: “We are thrilled for Alex. It’s an absolute delight to see Alex and other young people really blossom and land such an exciting opportunity with Go Media. It’s an inspiration to us and to other young people when one of our students does so well.”
Wakefield-based Go Media specialises in web development and search engine optimisation and saw budding talent in Alex.
Go Media Managing Director Paul Norton said: “Alex came to us much more prepared than other young people that we have employed, helping to make him an obvious choice above his fellow competitors for the position. We highly value our apprentices as we can train them in the way that our company operates from the outset, instigating our high morals and ethics; they come to us with no bad habits or pre-conceived ideas and as such are easier to mould.
“Alex has great potential and we look forward to him having a long and rewarding career with Go Media – hats off to all concerned with the Friday Project, if this is how you help you people, then let’s have more of it, for everyone’s sake.”
The Friday Project is part of West Yorkshire’s coordinated response to the escalating numbers of young people not in education, training or employment. Run by A4e and commissioned by Wakefield Council, it is funded by the European Social Fund and the Skills Funding Agency.
Leading welfare to work provider A4e’s Wakefield Vox centre is one of 10 around the UK giving hands-on vocational training to young people and unemployed adults.
