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Hillcrest Enterprises News
Hillcrest Enterprises and Joe Fitzpatrick MSP
Joe Fitzpatrick, MSP for Dundee West, today visited Hillcrest Enterprises Lawside Works Training suite. Joe was on site to learn more about Hillcrest’s innovative Toolbox project and have an opportunity to meet with the people involved.
Joy Watson, Hillcrest’s Wider Role Coordinator, explained that “The Toolbox Project provides unemployed, inexperienced young people with a short-term but fulltime work placement which serves as an introduction to work. We aim to allow individuals to make the transition between school life and work at the same time as increasing their confidence and self esteem. There is always a noticeable difference in the trainee from the start to the end of their placement.”
Over the last year Hillcrest’s Toolbox Project which covers Dundee and Angus has provided 50 young people with placements. 31 of these young people have gone onto other things – apprentices, jobs, further education. Scott Stewart, who met with Joe, went on from a placement to secure an apprenticeship with a local Maintenance Service Company. Scott commented that, “My placement definitely helped me move forward and get the skills that companies were looking for. The project is a great idea. I wouldn’t have got the experience otherwise and when competition is so tight for jobs just now, experience is essential. After a 26 week placement, my company was pleased with how I was working and I started my 4 year electrician apprenticeship in October.”
The Toolbox Project was established in 2007 and since then has gone on to operate in Angus as well as Dundee. The expansion of the project has seen apprentices in construction, administration, maintenance and hospitality, with the success of the project relying on the support of employers in the area.
After his visit Joe Fitzpatrick commented that “I was aware that there were Workingrite projects across Scotland - Workingrite was an SNP manifesto commitment in 2007 - so I’m very pleased to learn of the success of the Dundee & Angus project - Toolbox - managed by Hillcrest Enterprises. It was very enjoyable to meet the staff and trainees at Lawside Works today and to learn of the valuable work being done.”