Feature: Centre serving up a big helping of skills and experience

"I THINK it's really difficult for the young ones. There are a lot of people that do want to work but there's nothing for them to do."

Michaela Keetley, assistant project manager at Shalom Youth Centre, is clearly under no illusions about how difficult it is for young people from the East Marsh to find work.

She sums up the problem succinctly as a combination of a lack of jobs and a lack of qualifications.

While the team at Shalom can only do so much about the former – and eight paid jobs in addition to 12 voluntary positions is a notable contribution – it has made tackling the latter a priority.

For the past three years it has held adult learning courses run by tutors from Franklin College.

There are six-week courses in a variety of disciplines, from cooking and kitchen skills, paediatric care and first aid, and maths and English.

The courses are aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds who have left school with few or no qualifications.

Michaela says the informal setting at Shalom is a huge plus for youngsters who may have struggled in a mainstream school setting.

While many of the young people on the courses have been coming to the centre since their childhood days, others are referred by the youth offending team or employability organisations working on behalf of the Jobcentre Plus.

"They might have come out of school with no qualifications," says Michaela.

"We build their confidence, put them on the courses and at the end of the six weeks they will get a qualification to help them either get to college or find a job.

Shaun Burditt, 18, of Wellington Street, who has just started the cookery course, is one of those who has been coming to the centre since his younger days.

"You get new skills and it's something to add to the CV. It helps you out in life," says Shaun, who has also done the maths and English courses.

He started an automative engineering course at Grimsby Institute, but quit shortly afterwards.

"I wanted to do something hands-on but it was all writing."

Shaun, who works part-time at the centre as assistant caretaker, still harbours ambitions of working in a garage, but says opportunities are limited.

"It's not easy. It's horrendous. Most of my friends have got more qualifications than me but haven't got a job. I just got lucky."