The Highland Council and its public sector partners run paid internships, providing valuable work experience opportunities for those living in the Highlands region who are not in employment, education or training.
Internships are an opportunity to learn important employability skills, gaining industry-recognized qualifications while working in a trainee role, where they will earn a Scottish Living Wage.
Cameron ‘Cammy’ MacDonald works with the council’s housing maintenance team in Alness, but before he started in February he had been out of work for several months.
In his new team, he enjoys learning various skills, such as painting, garden maintenance and preparing houses for relocation.
Throughout Cammy’s placement, he is supported by a mentor, Charles Augustine.
Charles said: “It has been a pleasure working with Cammy and I am delighted to see him gain confidence in his work and around his co-workers. He is the first to arrive at work each morning and is always happy to continue his work and try new tasks.
Cammy said, “I really enjoy my job and being part of a team. It’s good to be tired at the end of the day!
Martin Gemmell, Building Maintenance Team Leader, said: “Cammy is a great asset to the department with his hard work and can-do attitude and it’s been really good to see him blossom into a colleague of confident work that is highly appreciated by his peers.”
Funded by the Highland Council and the Scottish Government’s Youth Guarantee and Long-Term Unemployment funding streams, Public Sector Paid Placements support unemployed Highland residents seeking to progress into employment.
The program provides participants with relevant work experience and the opportunity to access training and gain valuable skills, helping them progress towards sustainable employment.
Chairman of the Council’s Economics and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: “I wish Cammy and all the other young people who will benefit from the opportunity to gain work experience and learn new valuable skills through this program.
More information on paid placement opportunities can be found by visiting www.highland.gov.uk/employplacements
A special drop-in event for anyone ages 16-24 who is not currently employed, in education or training and those over 25 who have been primarily unemployed for 12 months will be held at the Spectrum Center in Inverness on Thursday July 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event is a chance for anyone interested to come and learn more about paid six-month internships.