FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local partnership working to address unemployment in West Lothian

Programme participants with Ashwood Scotland employees

Scottish Business in the Community West Lothian has been engaging with local businesses to expand the variety of pre-employment opportunities available to young people on Scottish Enterprise’s Get Ready for Work programme. 

An example of the quality of local business engagement was a site visit on 14 November 2007 between BLES Training and leading local construction company, Ashwood Scotland Ltd.

Ashwood Scotland Ltd welcomed 12 students from BLES Training Centre in Blackburn, who are all aspiring to a career in the Construction Industry, to their development site in Bo’ness.   Archie Meikle, Managing Director and Plant Manager Billy Maxwell took them through the induction process and highlighted the importance of Health and Safety Procedures. They outlined the processes involved in the Project Management of such a development and gave them an opportunity to talk directly with the tradesmen on the reality of working in the Construction Industry.

Archie Meikle commented “Ashwood Scotland was delighted to offer this first hand support and was impressed with the positive attitude and commitment the students demonstrated during this visit”.

Preparing our young people to enter the workforce is a critical part of continuing to build the West Lothian economy. West Lothian’s future economic prosperity greatly depends on young people with positive attitudes and good core employability skills. Increasing young people’s employability prospects is therefore a key and shared priority for the Scottish Government, West Lothian Council and Scottish Business in the Community.

While schools, employability agencies and the public sector lead the drive to employability amongst young people, business has an increasingly critical role to play. With the changing economic and working environment, particularly in West Lothian, businesses are well placed to help young people understand the world of work, expose them to a range of opportunities and develop the soft-skills and competencies required by the corporate sector. Many of these skills are better taught through direct contact with business people.  

Scottish Business in the Community brokers this engagement between local businesses and our young people, tapping into the workforce of tomorrow and making steps to address the skills gap.

Christine Murphy, SBC West Lothian Manager offered her thanks to both Ashwood Scotland for accommodating the site visit and to the staff who readily shared their experience and expertise of the world of work in the Construction Industry.   For further information on how you can become involved in a local project contact:  Christine Murphy, 01506 777348 or christine.murphy@westlothian.gov.uk.

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