Fullarton Youth Employability Hub

CEIS Ayrshire’s Mission

CEIS Ayrshire is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive economy in Scotland by supporting individuals, communities, and businesses. Our mission is to address inequalities, strengthen communities, and enhance the performance and impact of businesses. We offer a variety of services, including employability support, recruitment, skills training, and retention services, all aimed at empowering clients to enter or re-enter the workforce. Our team is highly skilled, providing tailored support to ensure clients can access local opportunities, receive interview coaching, and gain valuable skills through training courses.

Fullarton Youth Employability Hub

In partnership with North Ayrshire Council, CEIS Ayrshire launched a pilot Youth Employability Hub in March, designed for individuals aged 16–24. Following the pilot’s success, we launched a second employability hub in Fullarton, which provided further support and skill-building opportunities to local youth, helping them progress confidently toward employment.

The Youth Hub is a four-week employability programme which includes pre-employment workshops such as:

• Mentoring Circles
• Confidence Building and Resilience Workshops
• Skills Identification
• CV Creation
• Interview Preparation
• The hub concluded with a “Meet the Employer” session, giving participants a chance to interview with local employers.

Programme Outcome

The Fullarton hub saw notable engagement and growth among participants, who worked well together and advanced through workshops, gaining essential skills and confidence needed for the workforce. At the programmes end, participants met with local employers, including WIFI Spark, Key, and BPO Collections, for face-to-face interviews and potential employment opportunities. These interactions offered participants a chance to explore job options directly aligned with their newly developed skills.

Employer Perspectives

Lisa Littlejohn, Team Manager at Key

Key, an organisation supporting individuals with diverse needs across Scotland, attended the hub to seek new talent for the care sector. Lisa highlighted how life experience can often translate into valuable skills for support roles.

“They’ve all been great. People think that because they haven’t worked in care before, they lack the experience. Sometimes it’s just life experience they have. It just takes us telling them, what you are describing to me is what we require from a support worker. A lot of them have been quite surprised that they have got the skillset.”

Margaret Forester, Manager at WIFI Spark

Margaret, whose team has employed five clients through the Kickstart programme, emphasised the significance of working with local candidates to fill open positions.

“You don’t realize what’s out there and the challenges people face. Today has been very interesting. There are young carers and others who face their own unique challenges, whether being a single parent or having autism. Today’s environment allowed them to feel comfortable and open up, which showed me their potential as good candidates.”

Jennifer Able, Recruiter at BPO Collections

BPO Collections is actively working to support the local area through a recruitment drive for 60 full-time roles. Jennifer reflected on the impact of face-to-face interviews, especially in light of challenges brought by the pandemic.

“I’ve been doing interviews over the last few weeks, and it’s evident how the pandemic has impacted individuals at critical life stages. This event has been invaluable for helping people understand the working world and for equipping them with skills for a successful transition.”

Key Worker Insights: Gillian Moore

Gillian Moore, a key worker with CEIS Ayrshire who supports 16–24-year-olds, shared her observations on the impact of the employability hubs. Working from home during the pandemic, she noted a significant difference now that she is back meeting people in person.

“For young people, being in a group with peers they wouldn’t normally interact with has been very beneficial. They built confidence by being in a slightly more formal setting than they are used to, and I’ve seen a huge difference in them from start to finish.”

Conclusion and Future Hubs

The Fullarton Youth Employability Hub was a significant success. The positive feedback from both participants and employers highlights the programme’s impact in fostering skills, confidence, and workforce readiness among young people. With the next youth hub scheduled to start on June 16, and additional hubs for those over 25 in development, CEIS Ayrshire is committed to continuing this support across North Ayrshire over the next 12 months.

Contact Information

If you are a business interested in partnering with us or an individual wanting to learn more about our employability hubs, please contact us using the form below.