John Reid welcomes 30th Action Team job in Highlands

18 Dec 2000

There will be a brighter Christmas for thirty families in the Highlands and Islands thanks to the Government's Action Team for Jobs, Scottish Secretary John Reid said today.

Speaking during a visit to Inverness to meet Victor Rawlins, the 30thperson to find work since the Highlands and Islands Action Team was set up in October, Mr Reid said:

"In just two months the Action Team has helped 30 people who had been unemployed. That means 30 families enjoying a brighter Christmas and a brighter future.

"Nobody should underestimate the difference finding a job makes to people and their families. Unemployment has a devastating effect on communities, bringing poverty and despair. Finding a job changes that and makes a real difference to standards of living and signals increased hope for the future.

"The number of people in jobs in Scotland is around its highest level for 33 years. But we cannot afford to be complacent because there are still places in Scotland with intolerably high numbers of people out of work. In some areas the cycle of unemployment which persists from generation to generation remains unbroken.

"This achievement is just the first result from our £4 million investment in the Action Teams for Jobs to help people in four areas across Scotland which experience low employment and high unemployment."

The Secretary of State also presented training awards to Employment Service staff. Mr Reid said:

"I am genuinely impressed whenever I meet people from the Employment Service by the efficiency and professionalism of their staff. Their determination to help unemployed people find work and employers fill their vacancies is obvious. Their knowledge and skills have helped the Employment Service play a vital role in the success of the New Deal, which has seen over 29,000 young people find work."

NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS

  1. John Reid presented Mr Rawlins with a certificate to mark the fact that he is the 30thperson to have found work through the Highlands and Islands Action Team. He found full-time work with DLM Highland Cars in Inverness.
  2. Action Teams have been introduced in East Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow and the Highlands and Islands. A £4 million fund was announced in July aimed at helping people living in areas of labour market disadvantage suffering low employment and high unemployment overcome barriers to work. The Highlands and Islands was designated as an Action Team area to reflect its special circumstances following the loss of Objective 1 status.
  3. The help offered by the teams will be voluntary and clients will be drawn from people in receipt of unemployment related benefits. There will be no age or duration of unemployment restrictions to receiving help but the objectives and targets of the teams will take account of labour market disadvantage and local factors such as transport and post code discrimination.
  4. SVQs in Assessment and Guidance were awarded to ES staff.