THIS WEEK Peredur Owen Griffiths MS for Plaid Cymru in South East Wales paid a visit to Whitehead-Ross Education office in Merthyr to meet the young people improving their skills, qualifications and experience through its Jobs Growth Wales Plus programme.
Whitehead-Ross Education launched the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme in Merthyr In April 2022 and since then almost 200 16-19 years olds from the area have been supported by the programme.
Jobs Growth Wales+ is a training and development programme for 16-19-year-olds that gives you the skills, qualifications and experience you need to get a job or further training.
As part of the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme, the team in Merthyr run weekly health and wellbeing days. These are aimed at improving health and wellbeing, boosting confidence and motivation while also developing teamwork and social skills. Activities have included Go Karting, paddleboarding and raft building.
Brett Morgan, Operations Manager for Whitehead-Ross Education in Wales said “Our Jobs Growth Wales Plus programme has been extremely well received by young people across Merthyr.
“It’s a real pleasure to watch the young people come through the programme, grow in confidence, develop their skills and qualifications and get them ready to embark in the world of work. It is an invaluable service for young people who need the additional guidance in preparation for training and employment. It’s great the Welsh Government continues to support work-based learning and continues to provide funding for programmes like Jobs Growth Wales +.
Ian Ross, CEO of Whitehead-Ross Education added “Employability services like Jobs Growth Wales Plus go far beyond securing employment. Education, skills, and training play a crucial role in tackling poverty, improving living standards, spreading opportunities, and improving employment prospects.
“Our services often provide tailored and specialist support to economically inactive and disadvantaged groups of people across Wales, whose future could be hanging in the balance. The courses we offer enable people to improve their life chances by boosting their skills, experience and/or qualifications, which in turns helps to facilitate job opportunities, access higher paid jobs and improve their living standards.”
Scarlett (JGW+ Learner) said, “Being given the opportunity to be part of the Jobs Growth Wales Plus programme has been amazing. Its not only given me the opportunity to develop skills and qualifications, but it has also helped me to gain the confidence I needed to apply for college. I feel like it has enabled me to kick-start a career pathway for me and change the direction of my life.
MS Peredur Owen Griffiths commented; “Programmes like Jobs Growth Wales+ are so important to give young people the support they need to get into employment. Many young people leave school with few qualifications, work experience or life skills, but this programme equips them with everything they need to get a foot on the career ladder.”
Whitehead-Ross Education is an adult education and social service provision that operates six training centres in South Wales and supports more than 3,500 people every year. Its work includes support for unemployed individuals to secure and retain jobs through employability programmes like Jobs Growth Wales Plus, adult education and social service provision.
