Over the years young people in the village of Fernhill Heath near Worcester have been able to get some additional support from their community when looking for work.  A few of the more experienced members of the village (business owners and other professionals) got together to offer training and advice on interview techniques for school leavers or young people who are struggling to find work.

The young people who want to engage with the scheme go through a fake job interview and are given advice and feedback from a panel of people experienced in recruitment.  Advice offered ranges from how to best sell yourself in an interview to what, and what not, to wear.

The project has been a success with several young people accessing the scheme and some going on to find work as a result.  The opportunity for them to gain advice from experienced professionals is invaluable and gives them a real advantage in a competitive interview experience.

The scheme is not a permanent one and tends to operate according to levels of need within the community.  Cllr Tony Miller, responsible for setting the project up, said “ Young people in rural areas often struggle to find work and  the professional people within the villages are usually only too happy to give a couple of hours of their time occasionally to help them.”