Two young people from Redcar and Cleveland had their first taste of the world of work thanks to a placement with socially conscious housing association, Coast & Country.
20 year-old Ryan Fawcett and 17 year-old Kieran Stirzaker spent two weeks gaining work experience with Coast & Country Housing as part of a 12-week personal development programme run by The Prince’s Trust called Team, in association with Stockton Riverside College. The programme helps unemployed young people gain the skills and confidence to find a job.
Ryan spent time shadowing one of the housing association’s joiners, accompanying them on call outs to tenants’ properties and learning the basics of the trade. Kieran learnt the basics of customer service in a number of roles across various departments, including one-on-one interaction at the tenant contact centre, meeting tenants with the Community Investment team and answering calls for HomeCall, Coast & Country’s independent living service.
Emma Tooth, Community Investment Officer at Coast & Country, said: “At Coast & Country we’re always willing to help young people to gain the skills and experience they need for employment.
“Ryan and Kieran will leave The Prince’s Trust programme with qualifications and experience that will put them in good stead as they look to secure a permanent job.
“At the end of their placement with us we give feedback about what they did well and what they could improve on, which I think is crucial to helping them identify their strengths and fine-tune their approach to finding employment.
“Both Ryan and Kieran are fantastic young men. They have really impressed us during their short time here and have thrown themselves into the work they’ve been given. We have no doubt that they will make a fantastic addition to any workplace.”
Three in four young people supported by The Trust go on to find work, education or training.