Scotland Office Minister Ann McKechin visited Dumfries and Galloway today to see how the Future Jobs Fund (FJF) is helping people in to work. Visiting the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Reserve, Fountainbleau Ladypark, in Dumfries, the minister met staff who have been recruited through the FJF and are now working on the woodland sanctuary and learning about conservation.

She was accompanied throughout day by local MP Russell Brown.
 

Following the visit Ms McKechin said:  “It’s great to see how well the Future Job Fund is doing in helping people back to work. In a difficult economic climate the government is strongly committed to helping people back into work.

“The Scottish Wildlife Trust have worked extremely hard to pull together the bids for the funding and we are now seeing these efforts come to fruition, and having spoken to people who have found work as a result of the Future Jobs Fund I am optimistic for the future of Dumfries and Galloway.

"We have always said that we will not abandon a generation to unemployment as happened in previous recessions, and these jobs will provide training, skills, and employment experience for some of the most difficult groups to reach.”

The Future Jobs Fund, announced in the last Budget, is a UK-wide fund worth around £1bn to support the creation of around 150,000 jobs for long term unemployed people aged 18-24 and others who face significant disadvantage in the labour market. It is a challenge fund which invites organisations to submit bids for funding, usually for community-focused posts.

Tony King, Head of Policy for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said:  "The Future Jobs Fund is a UK Government programme which delivers real benefits to real young people at a time when they are most in need of guidance and support. 

“The Scottish Wildlife Trust has fully embraced the scheme and we are trying to offer as many placements as we can to help young people out of unemployment and into a paid job to help them learn new skills and become more employable.  The practical assistance these placements bring to our regional conservation teams is enormous. 
 

“While the Fund not only helps the young and unemployed, it also allows SWT to increase the level of work we do in local communities to protect Scotland's natural environment and ensure people can access and enjoy wildlife."   

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