Jobseekers help to spruce up city cemetery
FIVE young jobseekers have been helping to spruce up an historic Plymouth cemetery.
Ford Park Cemetery has taken on the quintet as part of a controversial Government work experience programme.
They are currently carrying out gardening work at the 34.5-acre site, which is run by a volunteer-led charitable trust.
The mandatory work activity scheme is part of a package of Coalition Government measures aimed at getting unemployed young people back into work.
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There has been fierce criticism of multinational corporations for employing jobseekers who faced losing their benefits if they failed to carry out the unpaid work.
But Tory employment minister Chris Grayling says recent figures show young unemployed people taking part in work experience schemes are nearly 20 per cent more likely to find work.
The Ford Park Cemetery Trust has been offering work placements aimed at boosting the skills and experience of the long-term jobless.
Trust chairman Dr Henry Will MBE said: "We take our responsibility to the community very seriously and we are delighted if, in a small way, we can help young people in the very difficult employment situation they face today."
Comments
by maxine711
Thursday, May 03 2012, 6:01PM
“there is nothing wrong with jobseekers doing this type of work, it gives the young ones who have never had a job an insight into what a bit of hard work is like, and is good work experience which is good to add to their CV, and the long term 'jobseekers' should be made to earn their money - @nothalf you don't see no problem with jobseekers sitting on their a*ses doing nothing to receive their JSA then? it works both ways, i'm not sure what the basic rate of JSA is but its arond £65 per week, thats about 10 hrs work, don't forget they usually get their HB and CB too. plenty of jobs out that to be done for 10 hr a week - litter picking, clearing of wet leaves in autumn etc etc.”
by nothalf
Thursday, May 03 2012, 3:57PM
“these people should be paid the minimum wage for any work they're forced to do, and just how many gardening vacancies are there in Plymouth for these people to find employed work, this is taking advantage of vunerable people by making it mandatory, they'd be treated better having a parole officer and work in the community tariffs”
by Jannerbloke
Thursday, May 03 2012, 7:53AM
“Pleased to see Ford Park continuing it's dynamic restoration. Having completed the very high quality restoration work on the chapel and become the fashionable and convenient place in the city to get buried or scattered with plenty of space left, this cemetery looks set to thrive. This offer of work opportunities fits well with all that.”
by BettyD
Thursday, May 03 2012, 5:41AM
“Good on the youngsters involved, hopefully this will be the start of bigger and better things for them :)”