A CHARITY is helping young people from challenging backgrounds get into supported work placements.
WorkingRite assists school leavers in getting their foot in the door of their chosen career regardless of their academic background or previous experience
Trainees learn in a proper workplace, receive one-to-one meetings, earn a weekly allowance and are given the chance to prove themselves in the real world of work.
Ross Cunningham started an apprenticeship with Rewire Solutions in October last year after leaving school at the end of his fourth year.
The 16-year-old says he got involved with WorkingRite as he wasn’t interested in staying in school.
He said: "I always knew I wanted to be a sparky but everywhere I was looking was asking for too many highers but I couldn’t do highers because I wasn’t in the right [school] year.
"My careers advisor told me about WorkingRite and I was found a placement.”"
Ross, from Yoker, says the experience has been "brilliant" and has been "massively" helpful in kickstarting his career.
He said: "It’s been really good.
"You meet new people and I’ve got a few new friends out of it as well. They’re all doing really well too.
"I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now without it, I’d just be in school or stuck in something I don’t like."
Ross will also start college in August and will study for four years to be a qualified electrician.
WorkingRite recently formed a new partnership with Whiteinch and Scotstoun Housing Association (WSHA).
Whilst the charity has run activities out of the Whiteinch Centre for many years, the housing association is now taking it over which will evolve it further into a real community hub.
WorkingRite will work with WSHA as its employability partners, offering placements for young people from the Whiteinch and Scotstoun areas.
James Ward, CEO of WSHA, said: "The collaboration with WorkingRite allows us to use their expertise and knowledge to help support the aspirations of the next generation of our tenants.
"WSHA are committed to helping our tenants and the wider community strive for a better standard of living and to assist them them in being able to improve their life chances and opportunities.
"Partnerships like this are integral to WSHA being able to deliver on our commitment as a community anchor organisation and we look forward to developing our relationship and extending the opportunities available in the future."
Sandy Campbell, WorkingRite founder, added: "Partnering with a housing association, such as WSHA, is an ideal relationship for our work-based mentoring model of training young people.
"WSHA gives us a local presence that the young people and their families relate to.
"Over the past decade we have helped over 200 local young people in this area secure the job or apprenticeship that was right for them – with the support of over 100 different local businesses – across all industries and types of employment.
"With WSHA we feel rooted in the community and this is an amazing community.
"So much so that last year we moved our national head office from Edinburgh to Whiteinch and are now ourselves tenants of WSHA."
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