Ethos Public Relations Manchester

‘A team’ in Oldham

by Ethos public relations

An employment and training scheme in Oldham facilitated by social landlord Contour Housing group and refurbishment company Jackson Lloyd has been dubbed ‘the A team’ because of their hard work and enthusiasm.

Samantha McHale, Regeneration Officer for Contour said: “Our two organisations have taken on eight trainees via the Future Jobs Fund which provides work placements for 18 – 24 year olds.  The trainees in Oldham are predominantly working on the Avenues & Hollins estate where Contour Homes manages nearly 600 homes.”

The trainees themselves are from the Oldham area and before joining the scheme had been unemployed for at least 6 months.

Tommy Lucy from Jackson Lloyd said:  “The scheme provides valuable employment experience, new skills such as painting and repairs and also gives trainees an opportunity to engage with the local community and show that small changes can make a big difference.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with this group who have proved themselves eager to learn and have already developed a superb team spirit – so much so we call them ‘the A team’.”

One ‘A team’ trainee is 24 year old Mike Hamilton from Glodwick.  Mike had been unemployed for 6 months and before that worked in an abattoir.

“I did not want to be unemployed and so was very interested to see this scheme advertised in the local job centre,” he said.  “We are one third in to the project and already I feel that I have learned a great deal, in fact every week we get a new skill.

“I would recommend a scheme like this to anyone who has been unemployed for some time.  I’m having a great time with the rest of the lads as well as making myself more employable in the future.”

Local resident Gemma Creighton from Eighth Avenue said: “This group is doing a great job.  It really makes a massive difference and the lads have been polite and left the place tidy.”

The team’s hard working reputation has recently seen them ‘seconded’ to work on a special Britain in Bloom project in Hattersley, Tameside where they received rave reviews from the local Partnership for their hard work and enthusiasm.

Posted at 5^th July 2010