THE Deputy Mayor Alderman Thomas Kerrigan hosted a Graduation Event for participants of Derry City Council’s Kickstart to Work HARTE programme in recognition of their success on completion of yet another successful programme.
The HARTE Programme is one of the innovative employment programmes delivered by Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Kickstart to Work programme in partnership with the North West Regional College.
The programme sets out to build the capacity of unemployed and economically inactive individuals who have an interest in accessing paid employment opportunities presented within the Hospitality, Tourism and Retail sectors.
HARTE provides them with a suite of short sharp Industry – Led training which fully equips unemployed people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to access entry level jobs within these sectors.
The training will combine personal, vocational and work-readiness skills deemed critical by the local industry in order to be considered for application for employment.
The Programme will promote the value of a career within the Hospitality, Tourism & Retail sectors while using a range of innovative programme delivery methodologies to maximise learning and positively promote careers within these sectors.
Alongside the vocational training element the programme also offers 1-1 mentoring and guidance, to support career planning, placement provision lasting approximately 2 weeks, mock interviews and ongoing professional development, culminating with a guaranteed interview with a local employer.
The Deputy Mayor at the Graduation Ceremony paid tribute to all the participants and staff of Kickstart to Work and the North West Regional College for their hard work and dedication throughout the programme.
He also thanked participating employers for their input to the programme providing much needed placement provision and jobs.
The HARTE Programmes were delivered in partnership with many employers including the City Hotel, the Maldron Hotel, Sainsburys, B & M, Smyths Toys, Dunnes Stores and Debenhams.
The programme was an excellent success, 57 participants completed HARTE with – a total of 207 qualifications achieved and over 50% securing jobs.
Leo Murphy, Principal and Chief Executive, North West Regional College added his congratulations and said “the North West Regional College is delighted to be once again working in partnership with Derry City and Strabane District Council in delivering the HARTE programme.
“This programme has proven to be extremely successful in equipping jobseekers with qualifications, skills and most importantly the confidence to successfully gain employment.
“We have received feedback from employers that they welcome staff who have completed HARTE, as they have a head start in understanding the role they are applying for, and are ready to hit the ground running when they begin their post.”
Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Kickstart to Work programme is committed to bringing jobs to the city and delivering much needed training and skills development to ensure that we have a skilled, professional workforce now and in the future to meet increasingly high visitor expectations.
If you are interested in joining the Kickstart to Work Programme or if you are an employer who would like to work with us, please call us on 02871308466 or visit our website at www.derrystrabane.com/kickstart
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