McCausland awards £348,000 funding boost for employability programme in Craigavon

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has awarded funding for a four year employability programme in Craigavon.
~ Thursday, 30 June 2011

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has awarded funding for a four year employability programme in Craigavon.

The programme, which has been developed by the Southern Regional College in partnership with the Department for Social Development, aims to increase employment opportunities for residents of the Brownlow, Lurgan and Portadown Neighbourhood Renewal Areas. It involves a range of measures including tailored mentoring for students participating in the Schools Support Programme, additional mentoring for those who progress from this programme to undertake full or part time courses in the College and a training and employability opportunities programme to assist the economically inactive to gain employment.

Minister McCausland said: “I am aware of the problems that exist in Neighbourhood Renewal Areas in terms the high percentage of residents with no formal educational qualifications which in turn creates problems in terms of access to employment. This programme will offer encouragement and assistance, together with tailored accredited training, for those residents of the Brownlow, Lurgan and Portadown Neighbourhood Renewal Areas hoping to enter the labour market in these current challenging times. It will help to address some of the problems identified by the Neighbourhood Partnership Board in its Vision Framework for regenerating the area.”

The programme has been financed with a grant of £348,580 from the Department for Social Development’s Neighbourhood Renewal Investment Fund, which tackles disadvantage in Northern Ireland’s most deprived communities. The Southern Regional College has provided a further £65,673.80 and will manage the project over the four year period.

Notes to editors:

1. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy 'People and Place' which was published in June 2003, sets out government’s proposals for closing the gap between the quality of life for people in the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of society.
   The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy has four interlinking strategic objectives:
   Community Renewal - to develop confident communities that are able and committed to improving the quality of life in their areas.
   Economic Renewal - to develop economic activity in the most deprived neighbourhoods and connect them to the wider urban economy.
   Social Renewal - to improve social conditions for the people who live in the most deprived neighbourhoods through better co-ordinated public services and the creation of safer environments.
   Physical Renewal - to help create attractive, safe and sustainable environments in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
2. Media enquiries to DSD Communications Team on 028 9082 9494 or email press.office@dsdni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440.