Newly renovated premises which allow local organisations to expand employment, training and education offering were officially launched in Stirling last week.
Stirling Community Enterprise (SCE) has been an integral part of the employability landscape across Stirling for several years, providing a range of support to help young people and adults access training, education and employability opportunities through a variety of activities, vocational training and accredited programmes.
The provide a person-centred approach to empower people facing multiple barriers to employment to gain the confidence and skills to access training and to progress onto fair and sustainable job opportunities that improve their quality of life and help them move out of poverty.
Most of their learners come from communities experiencing the greatest socio-economic inequalities, including the seven ‘data-zones’ in Stirling within the 10 per cent most-deprived areas in Scotland.
They include those with experience of homelessness, the care and criminal justice systems, the long term unemployed, young people not engaged in education, employment or training and those who have left school with low attainment levels.
Regeneration Capital Grant Funding from Scottish Government in 2021 alongside capital grant funding from the Robertson Trust allowed SCE to bring back to use a derelict building, the Boilerhouse, within the grounds of their Community Business and Enterprise Hub in Raploch.
The official launch was supported by Richard Lochhead, Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, Evelyn Tweed, Stirling MSP, and a range of partners that continue to help develop the provision needed to support the people of Stirling.
With the creation of an indoor practical skills workshop, SCE will enhance existing vocational, traditional and construction training skills programmes and the two new multi-purpose training and meeting rooms will complement existing employability support services, and help to expand SCE’s reach, increasing capacity to deliver services and support needed across Stirling.
SCE CEO Tracey McFall said: “I would like to thank everyone who worked on this project, who attended the event, the staff who do an amazing job every day supporting the people of Stirling and lastly the people of Stirling who have worked alongside us to make our communities more resilient.
“We hope the Boilerhouse will become an integrated and well utilised resource in the community for the people we support, our partners and the people of Stirling.”
Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed said: “I was delighted to be invited to speak at the opening. Seeing another part of this site transformed and a historic building brought back to life is incredible and I’m really looking forward to seeing what will be achieved here.
“It is testament to the strength of this project that it was able to bring together stakeholders from so many areas.”
