Supporting employability in South Ayrshire

The Town Centre Environmental and Employability Programme was developed in 2021 to support individuals in South Ayrshire facing significant barriers to entering or re-entering the labour market.

The programme sought to establish a routine structure for participants, giving them a greater purpose in their lives and experience to help them apply for future roles in the street cleansing sector. It also supported the cleansing of town centres and localities across South Ayrshire, having been initially established in Ayr where the waste management team were receiving a number of complaints about cleanliness and litter. 

“The idea originally came from the employability team as a way to engage and work with our hardest-to-reach clients”, said Cherlene O’Donnell, Team Leader for Thriving Communities in South Ayrshire Council. 

She explained how the Thriving Communities team collaborated with the Waste Management team to gain the correct guidance regarding what equipment and training were required for the programme to deliver the best impact for participants - and have since developed a “really strong” partnership.

“We found that a lot of the harder to reach clients had an interest in working outdoors. We had the option of the greenspace teams, but they were already quite saturated with our modern apprentices and people having placements prior to modern apprentices, so we looked at other areas. We were aware that the town centre needed some enhancement and tlc, so we thought why not try to tackle both issues at the same time?”, Caroline said. 

From an early stage, the programme was focused on breaking down barriers to employment for those involved. Participants were each allocated a key worker, with two full-time town centre supervisors employed to support them throughout their employment journey. Thriving Communities Employability officers provide wrap around support to signpost any clients that may have barriers to employment to other services such as Information and Advice Hub or mental health professionals.

The programme also offers a range of opportunities including targeted skills and training support via workshops and engagement events, collaborating with a number of local businesses and authorities. 

“What we offer is very person-centred, what suits one participant might not suit another – so we’re all about being flexible and adapting things when needed. A key priority was making the programme as inclusive as possible, so we made sure that there was a dedicated day for clients who had additional support needs. We worked with the supervisors and worked with them to make sure that certain tasks could be adapted, we made sure that risk assessments were in place”, explained Caroline Hainey, Programme Officer for Thriving Communities in South Ayrshire Council.

The success of the initial employability programme led to the development of the Town Centre Pathway, a progression route for participants into seasonal vacancies within the waste management and grounds maintenance team, supporting gaps in the local authority workforce. This was further expanded to cover four other localities within South Ayrshire, allowing participants to access this resource within their own communities and foster a sense of civic pride. 

“Following Covid, we saw a lot of clients develop anxiety and have their social skills impacted as a result – creating even more barriers to work and education. Through the programme, some of them now undertake a regular work placement where they interact with others, including members of the public who will stop them in the street and tell them that they’re doing a great job and comment on the difference they have seen in that area – the participants are just beaming with pride”, said Cherlene.

For some, the experience of the programme gave them the confidence and willingness to re-engage with education, returning to school and progressing onto college.

“Being able to get somebody to return to a classroom environment when having previously completely disengaged is so significant and it’s something the team is really proud of”, she added. 

Since 2022, the Town Centre Programme has supported 144 participants, with over 50 moving onto modern apprenticeships, employment and further education. Others have continued to engage with the programme, receiving accredited training, as well as support through the programme’s aftercare offer. 

Councillor Bob Pollock, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economic Development said: “The Town Centre programme has been an incredible success, not just by improving the cleanliness of our communities, but by providing real, lasting opportunities for individuals facing barriers to employment. By combining practical work experience with tailored support, we’ve helped participants build confidence, develop valuable skills, and ultimately move towards employment, education, and a brighter future. We’re proud of the positive impact this programme has had, and we remain committed to supporting our residents on their journey to success.”

Caroline Hainey presented on the Town Centre Environmental and Employability programme at the APSE Street Cleansing Seminar on 6 February 2025 at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull. The presentation can be viewed here. She can be reached at [email protected]