Over 100 people came together at St James Park Newcastle on 21 June to celebrate the success of the pioneering New Start employability programme for the North East managed by a partnership of North of Tyne social housing landlords and funded by the UK government Community Renewal Fund. The partnership is between Your Homes Newcastle, Karbon Homes, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council, Changing Lives and Bernicia, with roles open to residents living in their households.
Amongst the graduates of the programme was Laura Ramos-Zarate, a Your Homes Newcastle resident and graduate of Northumbria University, who began her 5-month career starter placement with EN:Able Futures in February this year as a Training Coordinator.
EN:Able Futures are working with this same group of social housing landlords to develop a shared placement model for apprenticeships and employment/training positions in the North East. Laura worked with Efficiency North Chief Executive Lee Parkinson to develop this scheme, and also to develop flex-job apprenticeship opportunities for EN:Able Futures’ expanding geographical reach in the region. Working remotely, based in Newcastle, Laura also assisted with the early stages of establishing a new construction skills hub in Darlington.
Laura was appointed to a full time role as a Project Coordinator with EN:Able Communities when her 5 month placement came to an end. This role will help her develop her skills and career further as she will continue to assist with the establishment of the charity’s delivery of retrofit skills training at the new Darlington construction skills hub and other hubs in the early stages of planning.
EN:Able Communities Project Coordinator Laura Ramos said; “New Start is the perfect opportunity to either get back to work or retrain in a different role. It’s only for 5 or 6 months so you don’t have that permanence that comes with other jobs. If you don’t like it, then you can move on, but you’ve still gained experience and skills. You get the support which you don’t normally get with traditional roles. It’s the perfect springboard for people who haven’t worked for a while or want to get into something new.”
EN:Able Communities Head of Operations Simeon Perry said; “I am delighted to welcome Laura into the ENAble Communities team. Laura has a wealth of experience to become a Training coordinator to develop our Retrofit training offer in the North East. It shows how Efficiency North and ENAble:Communities ‘walk the talk' in supporting those previously unemployed."
Find out more about the New Start Employability Programme here
