GATE Project
The 'Gwalia Action for Training and Employment' scheme, otherwise know as The GATE project, received a prestigious award at the Welsh Federation of Housing Association annual conference in 2002.
The scheme was set up to give youths from the Blaenymaes, Portmead and Penplas areas of Swansea training in skills such as property maintanence, gardening and landscaping and is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government through the People in Communities partnership.
For its success it was presented with the Pat Chown award for innovation in housing. This is what Gwalia's Community Initiatives Co-ordinator Vince Milland had to say: 'We are extremely proud to have been given this award. We feel that the Gate project is an innovative employment training scheme that is making a positive contribution to the regeneration of the Blaenymaes, Portmead and Penplas area.'
The project has made a big difference to the lives of the trainees as many of them have gone on to secure permanent jobs within the community. One said: 'I am a different person now and I want to carry on working in the community for Gwalia.'
This is a project that has been developed in order to address the needs of school leavers living in the Blaenymaes/Portmead and Penplas estate on the outskirts of Swansea in Wales. The development of the project has been made possible by the award of a grant of £180,000 by the Welsh Assembly Government under its People in Communities programme.
GATE provides training for up to 12 participants over a minimum period of 18 months to develop all the necessary skills to become competent in the range of duties currently performed by estate and property maintenance contractors. Ultimately, it's hoped that those completing the programme will be able to establish a co-operative community enterprise, providing its services to any landlord throughout the district.
Initially, applicants are trained to carry out low skill tasks such as litter collection, graffiti removal, fence painting, bulb planting and grass cutting. They also receive instruction on Health and Safety issues, and are encouraged to attend basic numeracy and literacy courses. These are documented in a written record of their skills development.
Once trainees have demonstrated their competence at these low level maintenance tasks, they have the opportunity to progress to more skilled operations such as gardening, interior decoration, carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, electrical tasks and general repairs. Training in administration and Information Technology is also available.
The Gate Project achieves a workforce, drawn from the neighbourhood, which can carry out a number of tasks:
- Repair and redecoration of vacated properties
- Environmental and estate improvement projects
- Special projects for the benefit of elderly or infirm residents
- Community projects to improve local facilities.
For further details, contact:
Vince Millband
Community Initiatives Co-ordinator
Grwp Gwalia Cyf
7 - 13 The Kingsway
Swansea
SA1 5JN
Tel: 01792 460609
Email: vince.millband@gwalia.com
