Renfrewshire Council

Owen and Harry with Maureen from DWP Owen Smith, Daniela Crawford and Harry Moore all started their council careers on work placements as part of the recent DWP Kickstart Trainee programme and have successfully progressed into new roles.

The national DWP programme was used to aid economic recovery and support young people, aged 16-24, into employment post-pandemic. Our economic development team were instrumental in supporting the programme in Renfrewshire and were recently recognised by DWP for their contribution. You can read more about that here.

Work experience programmes coordinator, Alison Chambers said, "The Kickstart programme provided unemployed young people with increased skills and confidence which had a positive impact on their employment potential. I'm delighted that this programme has been so successful with so many trainees progressing onto full time employment or further education."

Owen Smith became a housing assistant in May this year, after successfully completing his traineeship providing digital support to local residents. He said, "After leaving the [Royal] Navy I didn't know what to do and this opportunity has given me a new career path.  Everyone was very supportive, and my supervisor and colleagues were great. I gained experience working with tenants and I also learned about housing systems that will help me in my new job as a housing assistant. I really enjoyed my traineeship and don't think I would have achieved my current role without the experience it gave me."

Daniela Crawford now works in our customer services team following her traineeship in procurement. She said, "The Kickstart programme was very easy from the beginning. It quickly made me hopeful for my prospects for getting back to work and it helped grow my confidence. I am very grateful for the opportunity and support I received from Alison, everyone at the council and the Invest team. There are so many different tools to help people in their transition into work. It did take me out my comfort zone, but as a result I excelled massively in many ways. I'm delighted that all the hard work has now paid off with a permanent, full-time job".

Harry Moore progressed to his current role as a business and administration modern apprentice after completing his traineeship as an assistant marketing officer where he supported the planning and delivery of effective marketing campaigns. He said, "I loved my trainee placement. I got to work with great people and the experience I gained helped me progress to my current post.  Alison was very helpful throughout and I learned how to attend meetings in a professional setting which increased my confidence.  I found the whole experience to be very positive".

Published on Wednesday 12 October 2022