Many hands make light work of snow

Clean sweep... Council leader Howard Sykes lends a helping hand with (from left) Darren, Kiel and David with supervisor John Cunningham in front of the civic centre

Extra hands have been helping Oldham Council’s Street Scene snow-clearing teams to keep the borough moving.

Snow-shifters have been joined by three young people, newly recruited through the Future Jobs Fund.

The fund is a Government initiative which aims to create 170,000 additional jobs for 18-24-year-olds who have been out of work for nearly a year targeting jobs in unemployment.

Kiel Stokes, David Vernon and Darren Leeks, all under-25, spent the first week of their new job out in the borough clearing snow and gritting roads.

The scheme is aimed at supporting young people who have had difficulty finding employment or work experience, during the economic downturn.

The new recruits are the first of more than 500 employees to be recruited through the scheme over the next 18 months. All recruits will be working in jobs dedicated to benefiting Oldham’s community.

Their arrival has provided vital extra hands for teams stretched by the extreme weather conditions.

Councillor Howard Sykes, council leader, said: “It has been a real privilege to meet the young people who have joined the teams working so hard to keep the borough moving.

“The Future Jobs Fund is providing a real boost to both young persons’ employment and the excellent community work done by staff in the Oldham Partnership”