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How Link is supporting the Edinburgh Youthbuild project
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Summary
Link is supporting the new Edinburgh Youthbuild Project that was officially opened by Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill.
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Transcript
Jane Smernicki:
[0:01] Jane: This is a podcast from Link Group on the 23rd of February, 2010. To hear more Link podcasts, visit www.linkhousing.org.uk.
[0:12] Link is supporting the new Edinburgh Youthbuild Project that was officially opened yesterday by Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill. I went to yesterday's launch to find out more about Youthbuild and the role that Link is playing in the project. The first person I spoke to was Link's Community Regeneration Manager, Peter Rae.
Jane:
[0:29] Peter, can you give us an overview of the Youthbuild Project?
Peter Rae:
[0:32] Yep. Youth Scotland is a national program that particularly focuses on disadvantaged young people. It provides them with a route into the construction industry and through a pre-determined programme of training, an awful lot of support, an awful lot of mentoring and up-skilling where required.
Jane: [0:51] And what exactly is Link's role in Youthbuild?
Peter: [0:54] Link is a strategic partner in the Action for Children Youthbuild Programme. By that, we help to provide focus and direction to the project. We also bring funding to the initiative and finally we help actually implement Youthbuild projects through our development programme in Edinburgh, Glasgow and elsewhere.
Jane: [1:17] And how does an involvement in Youthbuild tie more generally into Link's wider priorities?
Jane: [1:24] I think increasingly over the last 12 to 15 months, Link has clearly stated that it is primarily a social enterprise and wishes to serve the communities in which it has an involvement. I think that Youthbuild offers us a unique opportunity to actually provide substance to that statement. We can help create training and employment opportunities in areas that we are active and will be of tenants.
Jane: [1:48] Paul Carberry is Action For Children Scotland's Operational Director of Children's Services. Paul says that Link has played a pivotal role in bringing Youthbuild to Edinburgh.
Paul Carberry: [1:57] Link not only have been supporting us to access placements in the construction industry, also supported us with funding. But the Link are unsung heroes in the development of Youthbuild in Scotland. There is no doubt that having more organsations like Link onboard will undoubtedly improve the chances of so disadvantaged young people in Scotland. So from our point of view, having an association with Link is exemplar, in terms of how this type of work should be done.
Jane: [2:31] The Scottish government is backing Youthbuild with funding from its Inspiring Scotland Program. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill explained to me why he believes projects like Youthbuild are so important.
Kenny MacAskill: [2:41] Oh, I think it's a variety of markers. It's about making sure the kids can be all they can be, that we get them into employment. That working in the construction industry isn't either for older men, or indeed, for people from foreign parts, it's about our own youngsters playing their part in building a modern Scotland. [2:57] Youthbuild is also about taking kids who've had some difficulties and trouble, allowing them to get through, to get over it and to be all they can be. And it's about working together with all the organisations, employers, national, local government. It's about building communities from the bottom up.
[3:14] There is such a thing as society. Together, we can make sure that we all get through it, even those who've had some difficulties in early years.
Jane: [3:21] One of those young people is Natasha Elder, who believes that her future is now back on track thanks to Youthbuild's help.
Natasha Elder: [3:27] Well, I was at school when I was 16, and just mucked about a lot, didn't really care for it. Tried to, my last year of high school. Got finished, got my qualifications, left, and I applied for college.
[3:42] I went to college for a year; I didn't do so well in college. I almost failed that whole year of the course. I applied again, never got in. And then I was unemployed for about four or five months, just drinking heavily and just mucking about really, because I was in a hostel at that point.
[4:01] And then I got told about Youthbuild and I thought I might as well go for it. There's a good chance I could get in. Went for the first interview and I thought I wouldn't get in, because I got told there were 105 applicants on that one. I was like, it would be worth a shot.
[4:19] There were only four females that actually applied for it, and I was the only one out of the four to get in. After that, I got myself an interview and then I was basically on the course.
Jane: [4:32] Things are now looking bright for 17-year-old Natasha, and she's become a role model for many of her peers.
Natasha: [4:38] Oh, me personally, I'm quite happy with what I've achieved. I came out with loads and loads of qualifications. I've got lots more to add to my CV, and I'm generally doing quite well for myself. I hope young people can do the same that I've done, because if you just sit back, then you're not going to get anything done. If you look to your future, not to your past, then you're going to get somewhere.
Jane: [5:00] Thanks for listening to this Link podcast. To hear more podcasts, visit www.linkhousing.org.uk.