Oldham’s A-Team!

THE A-Team . . . back, from left, Gareth Hanson, Colin Harley, supervisor, Mike Hamilton, Paul Brooks, Daniel Moskwin, Jake Lines and Anthony Horrocks. Front, Simon Heyes, left, and Tom Buckley

A group of eight trainees have been nicknamed The A-Team for their hard work and enthusiasm helping in the community.

The Oldham trainees, aged 18 to 24, are on work placements on the Avenues and Hollins estate as part of the Future Jobs Fund employment and training scheme.

Before joining the scheme, which is backed by social landlord Contour Housing group and refurbishment company Jackson Lloyd, the trainees had been unemployed for at least six months.

Now they are getting stuck into community projects — so much so that they are being compared with the famous TV action heroes.

Tommy Lucy, from Jackson Lloyd, said: “The scheme provides valuable employment experience, new skills such as painting and repairs and also gives trainees an opportunity to engage with the local community. It’s been a pleasure to work with these trainees who have proved themselves eager to learn and have developed a superb team spirit — so much so we call them The A-Team.”

Mike Hamilton (24), from Glodwick, is one of the trainees. Mike had been unemployed for six months and before that worked in an abattoir.

He said: “We are one third into the project and already I feel that I have learned a great deal, in fact every week we get a new skill.

“I’m having a great time with the rest of the lads as well as making myself more employable in the future.”

Gemma Creighton, from Eighth Avenue, Limeside, said: “This group is doing a great job. It really makes a massive difference and the lads have been polite and left the place tidy.”

The team’s hard-working reputation has recently seen it seconded to work on a special Britain in Bloom project in Hattersley where it has received rave reviews.