STAFF and young people at Oskars were delighted to welcome Scottish Minister Annabelle Ewing to talk about new employability opportunities, while learning about the work of Oskars.
The Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment chatted to Kibble’s young trainees to hear first-hand about the opportunities and experiences of Oskars employability and training programme, operated by KibbleWorks.
Oskars is one of a number of social enterprises within KibbleWorks, providing second-hand furniture, white goods, and other household items to those on low incomes. In addition, Oskars offer a range of household and business services including painting and decorating, bulk uplift and gardening. Oskars provide youth employment, education and skills training to young people furthest removed from the job market, opening up access to future employment opportunities.
Annabelle Ewing, Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment, said:
“Young people can face many challenges in finding work and it is important that support and training is available to ensure that they can see a positive future for themselves. The sort of backing that Oskars provides is vital in ensuring that young people, like those I met today, do not lose hope or give up on their ambitions just when they should be starting out in their careers.
“Today I was able to see the zero waste and recycling social enterprise as well as a tour of some of the 12 other programmes Kibble provides through its young workforce development. These allow the young people taking part to build their skills and confidence and know that they are doing work that is helping their communities.”
Manager Karen Gilligan said:
“It has been great to welcome the Minister to our showroom to see some of the exciting work going on here.
“We are aiming to provide as many training opportunities as possible for local young people and our range of services now include painting and decorating, gardening, bulk uplift services, and home and office clearances.
“Our young people work incredibly hard every day to be ready for the world of work. The skills they gain here help them achieve that goal.”
Training and employment opportunities at KibbleWorks are open to 16-24 year olds who are currently unemployed. There are also opportunities specifically for those who have care experience. For more information about these opportunities, or to find out more about the services Oskars provide, contact us on 0141 847 6626 or visit the website.