A programme that aims to get people into employment has returned to Banff for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reach (Recovery, Employability, Achievement, Challenge and Hope), organised by Aberdeen Foyer, follows a 12-week structure based on community involvement, personal development, wellbeing and employability learning.
Working in partnership with Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership and North East Scotland College, it is open to those aged between 16 and 65.
Now operating out of Banff Castle, it is under new leadership with it being run by local man James Turner, a development coach for the Reach programme.
Formerly only for alcohol and drug addicts, it has now diversified and is available for anyone within the specified age range.
Numerous qualifications to be gained
Participants of the course will gain a City and Guilds Level 1 qualification, as well as certificates in employability skills, food hygiene and first aid at work.
Workshops will focus on wellbeing and goalsetting for the future, with Reach ensuring specific recovery support is available to those who need it, as well as peer mentoring and service user involvement opportunities.
There will be five units overall, while there will also be a community challenge project, which will see participants working in the local area as part of a fundraising challenge.
Most of the people on the course, which started on February 13 and runs between 10am to 3pm – Monday to Thursday, are people who are long-term unemployed or have not worked before.
A maximum of 15 people can sign up for it, and although Mr Turner reached the maximum amount, there have been some drop outs, resulting in a few places still being available.
However, those want to attend the Banff programme need to sign up by the end of Friday, as the course will be entering its coursework stage next week.
‘They have plenty options and plenty of choices’
Mr Turner said: “My goal by the end of the 12 weeks is either find them employment, future education, which could be another course like this, or college, university or a voluntary role that would hopefully help them gain experience for future employment.”
If someone misses the deadline for the course that is ongoing, there will be more opportunities in the future to take part.
“I’ll be running three different teams in a year, so I’ll have plenty of time for people to sign up. If they don’t make it for this cut off, I can sign them up for the next one, so they have plenty options and plenty of choices,” he added.
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