Scotland turns to New York to help unemployed

Publisher: Jon Land


A project developed in New York which aims to get long term unemployed people into work is to start in Scotland next week.

Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell made the announcement today as he visited STRIVE (Support and Training Results in Valuable Employees) in East Harlem.

The programme targets hard to reach individuals and brings a much more disciplined and intensive approach to employability programmes than would normally be the case in the UK.

The first STRIVE in Scotland programme will begin in Dunbartonshire on April 10 with funding of £400,000 in place for two years and the aim of getting more than 250 people into work.

The target group in Dunbartonshire are, young people, as well as people on Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, the New Deal and Training for Work programmes.

Jack McConnell said: "Our aim is build a modern, confident and prosperous Scotland. And with employment at an historically high level we are making progress.

"But we must do more to raise the aspirations and confidence of Scots who are without jobs. And if we are to change attitudes we need to use new, forward thinking and innovative ideas like STRIVE.

"I was impressed by the commitment of the programme leaders and I can understand the impact of challenging the participants to change their way of life.

"Projects like this can spur people on to aim higher and think bigger. It can provide the type of skills and equally importantly the type of attitude which makes them ideal employees.

"If the programme is successful, I want to see more projects like STRIVE used across Scotland. By using good ideas like this from across the world we can instil ambition and a positive attitude into thousands of Scots. Doing so will not only boost our economy, but will transform lives for the better.

"That will also be the aim of our Employability Framework, which we plan to publish shortly."

STRIVE was developed by Rob Carmona who, as a convicted offender, was given the chance to turn his life around when referred to a drug rehabilitation project instead of being sent to jail.

Since that time, he has been committed to working with young men and women in his community to help them achieve self sufficiency.

STRIVE has been in existence in East Harlem since 1984. It is a non-profit employment training and job placement organisation which services the most difficult to reach groups - those with criminal history, drug dependency etc.

Its philosophy is founded on the basis that securing gainful employment for clients is the best means of combating their social exclusion.

All clients undergo an intensive full time four week job readiness programme that gives them the social and other skills necessary for the work place.

Clients are helped with a job placement for the end of the four weeks and are supported - through outreach - for the next 2 years in their employment.

STRIVE has expanded into a network of over 22 cities in the US. It also now has arms that deliver the STRIVE programme in Israel and in the UK.

Strive in Scotland is being tested under Equal Theme A, an ESF programme to test innovative ways of helping those most disadvantaged in the labour market into work.

The aim of Equal is to mainstream successful activities and use the learning from the projects to influence the development of policy related to employability, at European, UK and Scottish level.

The Scottish programme aims to work with 250 people over two years, of which it is hoped 70% will move into employment. The programme will be delivered by the Lennox Partnership.

The Employability Framework is being developed from the work of the Cabinet Delivery Group on Closing the Opportunity Gap (CtOG) which aims to tackle poverty and disadvantage in Scotland.

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Sheffield Welfare Action Network
challenging the Incapacity Benefit cuts
campaigning for positive welfare reform