A TRAINING centre for Ripley teenagers who are unemployed and no longer in education has been saved from closure.
The entry to employment (e2e) programme was threatened by the restructuring and cost cutting currently taking place at Amber Valley Borough Council.
However the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Trade has agreed to step in and run the serv
ice, in partnership with the council at Ripley Town Hall.
Head of chamber training, Sarah Temperton, said: "Due to the internal changes that the local authority has had to make, there was a danger of the e2e programme disappearing.
"We had to act quickly and made a decision to keep this within our portfolio, so we have employed Liz Hampson as the e2e coordinator, and will be working in partnership with Amber Valley Borough Council."
The chamber now has six centres delivering entry to employment programmes, which is primarily aimed at young people aged 16 to 19 who are unemployed and not participating in any form of higher education.
It is designed to help them develop motivation, confidence, basic and key skills, and to give them a range of opportunities to gain knowledge of the workplace.
Sarah Temperton said: "This is an important programme in that it helps young people who are sometimes vulnerable, or who simply don't understand how to hold down a job or behave in a work situation.
"It offers real hope, giving them focus and direction."
