Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart MP has taken to the streets to recruit participants to an innovative training programme for young people who are not in work, education or training.
Earlier this year Graham helped to secure sponsorship for the programme from TIR Training and Deflog VQ Trust when he raised the issues around youth unemployment and homelessness with their Chief Executive, Paul Downey.
Graham’s now helping to recruit young people to the programme which is run by Hull based charity, CatZero. The charity wants to recruit up to 14 young people between the ages of 19 and 28 years old from the East Riding for its latest programme, which starts in October.
CatZero programme manager Pete Tighe said “We’re looking for young unemployed people who wanted to change their lives.
CatZero is a unique programme where every day is different. It helps with life skills as well as qualifications and gives young people the opportunity to sail a 72ft Challenge yacht.
“There is nothing quite like this anywhere else in the country. It’s proven to deliver fantastic outcomes and help people turn their lives around.”
Commenting on the programme, Graham Stuart MP said, “Even in a prosperous town like Beverley there are lots of young people who are homeless, unemployed, with few or no qualifications and little hope.
“It’s easy for them to become invisible but programmes like this offer a real opportunity to identify strengths and give them the confidence and support to get into employment.”
Mr Stuart added: “This is a course like no other – the whole experience is geared towards preparation for a challenging sailing voyage, which is exciting, stretching and life enhancing.”
Paul Downey, Chief Executive of TIR Training and Deflog VQ Trust that sponsor the programme said: “CatZero offers a unique way of engaging with young people who might have been let down by the system.
“It’s not just about education – it’s about helping them with all the issues they face. Speaking to people who have gone through the programme, they are all very positive about the impact it has had on their lives. They have become a lot more confident and ready for work.”
Luke Watson, 23, from Hornsea, completed the programme earlier this year and is now studying maths, English and ICT before completing a vocational qualification in the logistics sector.
He said: “I was a bit sceptical at first because I was not sure what to expect. But after the first couple of days I knew I was going to love it and I was right.
“I really enjoyed the rock climbing because I’d never done that before. We went to visit businesses, canoeing and got six qualifications, one of which was sea survival.
“It’s certainly boosted my confidence. I learned how to cook and I’m now doing a lot more exercise. It helped me in many ways I never thought it would.”
Anybody wishing to be considered for the course should either ask at the Jobcentre or contact CatZero directly on 01482 333305.
