James Ledgerwood

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James Ledgerwood
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youthbuild
James Ledgerwood
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Why youthbuild?
because
Once the euphoria of seeing areas transformed by
new housing investment had passed, the residents
of those same areas rightly began to question the
value of this investment against a backdrop of
serious youth unemployment.
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or simply because...
all these houses are getting builtbut where
are the jobs for our weans?
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Our challenge

• We needed a way to link...
• training
• employment
• physical investment (housing)

...for the most disadvantaged young people
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The result was...
youthbuild A scheme that directly links socially
rented housing (its construction and
renovation)with the employment and tenancy needs
of local young people.
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youthbuild is
...the best example of on-site training in
Scotland. (SQA External Evaluator)
...an idea whose time has come. (Scottish Homes
Scottish EnterpriseIndependent Evaluation)
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Success of youthbuild

• Since April 2000...
• 17 young people recruited
• 12 achieved full-time employment
• 9 gained Level 2 VQ and...
• 47 new homes built (on time and to budget!)

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How did we get youthbuild?

• First principles
• Best Practice?
• Dipped toe in water
• Green for GO!
• The many hurdles
• Room for more

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First things first

• Needs of young people remain paramount
• Community organisations reps remain at centre of
  project development
• No partners agenda allowed to dominate
• Everyone gives a bit
• Co-ordination role of Paisley Partnership
  identified and underlined

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Better practice than us?
Surely not!

• Young Builders Trust
• Offered model that could be adopted but more
  importantly adapted
• YBT gave Partners taste of success

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Toe in water

• Try to ensure best endeavours
• if that meant tag-on-end,well so be it (even
  site-security!)
• June 1999 small scale pre-vocational training

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Green for GO!

• wee steering group formed
• Local Housing Federation Commission Feasibility
  Study with emphasis uponadditional cost (Feb
  2000)
• Ferguslie Park (47 houses September 2000)

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The many hurdles

• Funding cocktail
• The time
• The risk! e.g. drugs and the weather

but help was at hand...

• Federation of Housing Associations
• D Campbell Co.
• Paisley Partnership!

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Room for more

• As issues arose help had to be found
• Health Social Issues - CITB
• Educational Support - Reid Kerr

And of course success brought youthbuildto
attention of others!
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Those who have given a bit
Barnardos Scottish Homes Renfrewshire Partnership
Forum Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire Renfrewshir
e Council Federation of Local Associations in
Renfrewshire Reid Kerr College Renfrewshire
Careers Partnership NHBC D Campbell Co SCVO
(New Deal Voluntary Sector Option Co-ordinators)
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The future

• youthbuild 2 (September 2001)
• youthbuild 3 (early 2002)
• Gorbals, North Ayr, Inverclyde,Dumbarton Road
  Corridor all looking at youthbuild
• Scottish Prison Service
• YOU?

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and finally...
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youthbuild
James Ledgerwood