On Wednesday the 6th of November, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Damien English TD officially launched the IGNITE Rural Youth Training and Progression Initiative in the Ardboyne Hotel, Navan.
Meath Partnership together with FRS Training are delivering this free 15-week training and employability initiative for young people aged between 16-25 years of age who reside in rural County Meath. This initiative is fully funded by the LEADER 2020 rural development programme and there is no cost to participants.
Speaking on the night Minister English welcomed this initiative and was delighted to support the ongoing work in Meath Partnership. The Minister said:
“The number of under 25 year olds on the live register in Meath has declined by 75% since March 2011 – falling from over 2,028 to 494 as of September just gone. While this is a very welcome trend - we cannot stop until everyone has the same opportunity to get a kickstart into a job. That is why we need specific programmes like Ignite, designed by FRS Training in conjunction with Meath Partnership funded by LEADER 2020, to focus on the barriers our young people face to gain employment. The Ignite programme is looking to overcome these barriers by providing services to our young people in rural communities by developing their soft skills and getting these people into a position of where they can avail of the opportunities and secure that job.”
The aim of Ignite is to support young people aged between 16-25 to engage in employment, education and training in rural communities. Colin Donnery, General Manager of FRS said;
“Quite often young people, particularly in rural areas have great difficulty in finding a job. Why? Because they face many challenges such as poor transport links, a lack of work experience, limited job opportunities and as a result suffer from low confidence and self-esteem.”
Meath Partnership and FRS Training have recognised these challenges which is why the Ignite programme has been developed. Ignite will focus on improving a young person’s confidence, addressing transport issues, providing industry specific training, developing professional CV’s and interview skills, opportunities to meet employers and guaranteeing every participant a job interview.
FRS Training are closely linked to employers in County Meath and the training courses are designed to provide employability skills through certified training. Training options include, Hospitality, Agriculture, Welding, Technology and much more.
CEO of Meath Partnership, Michael Ludlow on the night said:
“This initiative represents one of the most important steps taken, with the assistance of LEADER Grant Aid, to improve life opportunities for young people whose career advancement is adversely impacted through disadvantage, early school leaving, distractive activity or lack of opportunity.”
Spaces are limited, so if you are interested please email ignite@frstraining.com or visit www.frstraining.com/ignite