Avondhu Blackwater Partnership Ltd. plans to deliver a community based, accredited training programme to address the needs of unemployed 18-25 year olds in the Fermoy area this autumn. Priority targeting for the programme will be males (but not exclusively) who are distant from the labour market and experiencing multiple barriers to progression.

The initiative is being funded under the Local Community Development Programme (LCDP) and will be called the Work Focus Initiative 2013.

The programme will incorporate personal development and motivation, the effects of unemployment, goal setting, identifying and overcoming barriers to progression, personal skills analysis, skills to improve employability, analysis of national skills requirements and current trends, job seeking skills, equipping participants with an understanding of the work environment and what an employer looks for, identifying further education and employment opportunities and creating personal action plans.

The course will comprise three three-hour sessions per week for 12 weeks for a group of 12 to 15 participants. It will be held in Fermoy and will run from mid September to December. Dates will be confirmed by late next week.