Early Intervention Twilight Project Seeks New Members
Preston Vocational Centre (PVC) is continuing to look for participants for its successful Twilight Project. The project aims to give hope to local young people by helping them turn their backs on crime and instead provide them with the skills and confidence needed to enter meaningful employment.
The project is run in conjunction with Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and funded through the Home Office and EU. The project seeks to specifically help young people identified as being at risk of becoming involved in crime or criminal exploitation.
The sessions are entirely free and aimed at helping young people develop their knowledge and skills in a variety of trades. These trades include plastering, brickwork, carpentry, joinery, painting & decorating, building maintenance, health & safety. Recent successes include participants progressing onto pre-apprenticeship programmes and others finding full-time employment.
By taking a holistic approach, the Twilight Project offers participants a range of services, all designed to help them make the transition into employment. This includes everything from allowing them to showcase their work to prospective employers, to pastoral care and education about issues such as critical thinking and improving resilience.
Responding to participant requests, the programme now also includes a 3-week Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) training course. Run in conjunction with Preston’s Early Intervention Team, the course has already seen some notable successes, including four participants achieving their Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in Construction Environment. This award, along with passing the CSCS online test, is important as it qualifies those with it to work on construction sites. The next CSCS programme will begin in January 2020.
The Twilight project is open to boys and girls under the age of 18, as well as a small number of adults transitioning into adult services. Sessions are held Mondays and Thursdays, from 3pm to 5pm, at PVC in Preston
To learn more, call PVC on 01772 880680