More than 100 unemployed people across South Ayrshire have been helped into work by a new multi-million pound support scheme.
Job Entry: Targeted Support (JETS) launched in Scotland in January as part of the UK government’s response to job losses caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Now it has passed the 4000 jobs mark months ahead of schedule.
The Wise Group works with 38 JobCentres across west and south-west Scotland in partnership with business process outsourcing company Capita.
On offer is advice and support to participants who have been out of work for at least three months.
Already 99 customers from Ayr JobCentre have been helped into work.
Wise Group chief executive Sean Duffy said: “JETS has been a hugely successful employability programme which has changed the lives of thousands of people across Scotland.
“We’re incredibly proud of the part we have played in making it such a huge nationwide success across Scotland.
“More than 40 per cent of participants find work during their six months on the programme, which is a remarkable success rate.
"And it’s even higher in Ayr at 45 per cent.”
A further 13 customers from Girvan JobCentre have also been helped into work through JETS.
Mr Duffy added: “The pandemic was disastrous for almost every business sector in the country, costing many thousands of workers their jobs, so it’s been great to be part of a collaborative effort to help improve the lives of so many families in Ayrshire and further afield.
“Also, working on this programme has allowed the Wise Group to employ around 60 new staff to deliver it, some of whom live in Ayrshire.”
The success of the scheme in Scotland has led to the Department for Work and Pensions taking up an option to extend the scheme by almost a year, to the end of March 2023.
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