Mayor sees first-hand how Rutledge is supporting young people into employment

During his visit to the centre, Alderman Ross chatted with young people who are studying joinery and childcare and discussed their plans for the future.

The Mayor and senior officers from the Council’s Economic Development team also met centre manager Christine Mochan and Sheldon Davenport to explore how the Council could further support the work of Rutledge through the Labour Market Partnership (LMP) and with the potential expansion of their offering. 

Alderman Ross said:

“I was delighted to meet students to learn first-hand the meaningful impact the support of Rutledge has had on their lives.

“The demand for skills within the economy now and the expansion and investment plans of many businesses, including Jans Group and Dobbies in Antrim, mean that the need for talent is great. Rutledge want to be at the forefront of this by supporting local young people and we want to assist in whatever way we can.”

The LMP is designed to support more people into meaningful employment. It is developed by the Department of Communities and aims to address issues with jobs and training by combining resources and delivering a collaborative and flexible approach to employability support.

Rutledge centre manager Christine Mochan said:

“I'm really excited to work in collaboration with the Council to see how we can further develop our model across the Antrim and Newtownabbey area.”