Member Article

Lone parents discover potential in North Tees

Unemployed single parents in the North Tees area will have the chance to transform their lives thanks to the return of a development programme.

Pertemps People Development Group’s (PPDG) Weeks of Discovery programme started again in Billingham on Monday and will run throughout North Tees - including Hartlepool and Stockton - until June 2008.

PPDG won the contract to deliver the programme for a second time after helping 161 lone parents with career direction, training, employment and further education across the Tees Valley during the last scheme earlier in the year.

The programme helps lone parents and partners of people claiming job seekers allowance to improve their lives by breaking down barriers which may be preventing them from progressing in life and getting into work.

Mark Harrison, operations manager, said: “The courses are motivational; we aim to help lone parents into work by finding out what they’ve done in the past, what skills they have and by boosting their self-esteem and confidence. We look at their employability and help signpost them to organisations and engage them into work. We assist with transport, arrange childcare and provide lunches.

“We want to make a difference to lone parents’ lives by giving them the foundations to work, improving their education and training and by showing them that there’s opportunities out there as well as help available for finding work.”

For more information about Weeks of Discovery call Mike Shepherd on 01642 495460.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .