Funds awarded for Nairn employability projects

Three projects in Nairn have been awarded £15,000 Deprived Area funding for employability projects by Members of The Highland Council’s Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee.

£5,000 each was awarded to:

• Nairn and District Citizens Advice Bureau to provided additional adviser support to the Nairn Work Club;
• Nairn River Community Council to carry out a social enterprise feasibility study; and
• Nairn Academy towards a school leaver activity programme running through the school year.
  

Leader of the Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee Councillor Liz MacDonald welcomed the funding approvals, she said: “I am delighted that we can support these local employability projects through the Deprived Area Fund. Any ways in which the Council can either help school leavers get into work or adults get back into work is welcome for the economy of Nairn and the surrounding area.”

Members were also updated on the progress of two employability partnership projects in Badenoch and Strathspey which have been supported by the Council’s Employability Service - the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust (£32,00 over the past 2 years) and the Cairngorm Outdoor Access Trust (£13,000 in 2013/14).

The Housing Trust has developed a skills development programme through their Cairngorm Constructions Skills Projects which engages 28 young people in the local area through a partnership with Inverness College. The young people learn construction skills at the College and gain work experience on the Trust’s housing contracts. The Trust aims to roll out the project to other areas in the Highlands.

By November 2014, 19 people will have completed 3 years of training with the Cairngorm Outdoor Access Trust which provides accredited training and employment in environment management and footpath building in the National Park Area.

Members welcomed the work of the two local employability partnerships operating in Nairn and in Badenoch and Strathspey and the many organisations participating in, and supporting the partnerships.