A scheme run by The Children’s Centre is helping young people to learn new skills, gain confidence, and improve their employment prospects. The charity’s Gap Scheme project began in 2013 thanks to a ?50,000 donation from the Isle of Man Development Company Limited. It allows young people to experience work within a sector of their choice for a period of between nine and 12 months, and complements work already undertaken by The Children’s Centre to support young people who are not in education, employment or training (often referred to as NEETs).
So far, two young people have taken part in the Gap Scheme – they were based at the charity’s Community Farm and gained practical horticultural and agricultural skills and qualifications. They also developed emotionally, and learned about the practicalities of working life. Both have gone on to gain employment.
Will Revill, aged 23 and who lives inBride, is the third Gap Scheme participant and is currently working as an Environmental Playworker and Forest School Leader. The Forest School project provides primary school children with opportunities to develop confidence and self-esteem by learning woodland skills and taking part in a variety of outdoor activities. He said:
“At the end of September, I trained as a Level 3 Forest School Leader enabling me to run Scandinavian-style outdoor learning sessions. I now run weekly sessions in Laxey Glen with whole year groups from Willaston School; regularly take out nursery children to explore Ballaglass; and team up with the fostering team to run sessions with them. I found the initial few months very challenging and a massive learning curve as I developed my ability to present sessions as well as to plan appropriately for different age groups. As time progresses, I feel my ability to run forest school sessions has unimaginably improved. I feel confident in organising and presenting tasks which are interesting, yet achievable, to a large range of age groups. All I can hope is that I will continue to enjoy the programme as much as I have been. Thank you!”
Fiona Dawson, Chief Executive of The Children’s Centre, commented:
“We’re extremely grateful to the Isle of Man Development Company Limited for their support in funding this project, and the outcomes so far have been outstanding. All of the young people who have taken part have gained in terms of both their personal development, and in their employment prospects.”
The Gap Scheme is modelled on one that has been run successfully in the UK for the last 20 years by The Rank Foundation, and which is generally accepted as good practice in supporting young people to investigate and experience a work setting whilst also deciding if they have a long-term commitment to, and interest in, that field of work.
The Isle of Man Development Company Limited was set up in 1973 to play a part in a re-organisation of the Island’s infrastructure; and the company’s objectives were, and still are, to ‘support the development objectives of the Manx Government’. Pauline Macready, Managing Director at the Isle of Man Development Company Limited, said:
“We have been very encouraged at the success to-date of the Gap Scheme developed and run by The Children’s Centre. The Isle of Man Development Company Limited supports the development of our young people of all backgrounds and we are proud of the results already achieved. As the Gap Scheme continues we wish the ‘gappers’ and The Children’s Centre every success.”
