The WorkingRite programme carefully matches 16 to 18 year olds, who are not in education, employment or training, to local businesses for a work placement lasting up to six months. Each young person receives on-the-job training by their placement mentor, ongoing support from their WorkingRite Project Co-ordinator, up to £95 per week training allowance and the ability to boost their qualifications via the SQA Certificate of Work Readiness.

Last year, 80% of the young people that took part in the programme progressed to a job, apprenticeship or purposeful learning. Via WorkingRite, the young people choose which trade or profession they gain experience in, and the Project Co-ordinator then seeks a committed, supportive local business which represents a good fit for the individual. Placements in 2015-16 included administration, childcare, community coaching (via a strong partnership with Aberdeen FC Community Trust), warehousing, construction, maintenance, IT and retail.

One of the Langstane WorkingRite trainees, 17 year-old Aimee Milne, earned herself a full time job at a nursery having impressed her placement employer during the programme. Aimee had been struggling to motivate herself to go out and find work, but after an informal interview with the WorkingRite Project Co-ordinator, she was excited to get started. WorkingRite matched Aimee to KingsWellies Nursery, where she was trained up to work in the office - creating care plans, filing, answering phone calls or emails and keeping everything up to date. She said the WorkingRite programme was “really helpful. The team at KingsWellies has made me feel really welcome and I hope to continue working and progressing there in the future”.

Helen Gauld, chief executive of Langstane Housing Association, said “we have long recognised the importance of employment, especially for our young tenants as they start to think about making their way in the world. The WorkingRite scheme has made a great difference for so many young people in our area and we are delighted that this will continue.”

WorkingRite’s founder director Sandy Campbell, said: “we in WorkingRite are proud of our seven year partnership with Langstane Housing Association. Our work-based mentoring programme for 16 to 18 year olds is a perfect match for housing associations who want to help their young tenants into a working future. Langstane’s example has been followed by many other housing associations since, and together, all of these partnerships have improved the impact we have been able to have with these young people across Scotland.”