Recruits are hired at ceremony
Almost 20 young people are celebrating after clinching jobs at a glittering ceremony to mark the finale of Renfrewshire’s Recruit programme.
The showpiece event of the popular youth employment scheme – held at Renfrew’s Glynhill Hotel – saw 18 local youngsters hear the magic words ‘you’re hired’.
The programme – loosely based on TV favourite The Apprentice – sees young people compete through a series of practical and business challenges.
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The winter edition has involved two concurrent programmes – one for 16 to 17 year-olds and one for unemployed youngsters aged from 18 to 24.
The two big winners on the night were Connor Barr and Martin Speirs, who were named as the Top Recruits for the 16-17 and 18-24 programmes respectively.
Both will be employed by Renfrewshire Leisure – Martin as a leisure assistant and Connor as a trainee business administrator.
Martin, 22 from Gallowhill, said: “I am just delighted to be the Top Recruit – this is my dream job”. And former Paisley Grammar pupil Connor, 17, added: “This is brilliant – I wasn’t expecting to win at all.”
Also honoured were Skye Donnelly and Joanne Sneddon, who won the Recruit’s Choice awards – as voted for the young people themselves – for the Recruit deemed to have been the best team-mate.
Other employers to give out jobs at the event – hosted by Clyde One DJ George Bowie – included Renfrewshire Council, Artemis Flowers, Bray UK, Prima Services and Little Flowers Nursery.
In addition to the ten full-time jobs dished out, a further eight Recruits have secured traineeships with the council. Another six were given further training opportunities, while the remaining three had already found work elsewhere.
Councillor Roy Glen, convener of the council’s Economy and Jobs Policy Board, said: “Once again, the Recruits have been a credit to themselves and to Renfrewshire.
“Through their own hard work and willingness to develop themselves, these young people have well and truly earned the opportunities they are being given.
“I would like to congratulate them all and wish them the very best for the future.”
Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan, who welcomed guests to the ceremony and helped present the awards, added: “Equipping our young people with the skills to compete in the job market is a key priority for the council.
“The Recruit has proven to be consistently successful at doing just that and I would like to thank all the staff whose hard work has made the programme so well-regarded and popular.
“The council is also grateful to all the organisations who have worked with us and provided challenges for the young people over the past two months.
“In particular, I would like to thank the firms who were able to offer positions to the successful Recruits. We look forward to working with you all again in future.”
Recruitment for the summer edition of the Recruit – for 16 and 17-year-old school leavers – will start soon, with a further programme planned for 18 to 24-year-old unemployed people also to take place later this year.