THE Florida Road UIP sidewalk monitors graduated from the first LIFE Programme recently, kick-starting a long-term plan to support The Wellness Centre Trust in their efforts to reintegrate homeless people into the work-force.
LIFE is a partnership between The Wellness Centre Trust, Western Star Recruitment Agency and the Florida Road UIP, and stands for Local Investment – Future Employment. This collaboration sees The Wellness Centre Trust providing mentorship, discipleship and skills development for Florida Road sidewalk monitors, the Florida Road UIP providing work experience and references, and Western Star Recruitment Agency assisting in job sourcing.
LIFE not only aims to provide current and future sidewalk monitors with the skills and guidance to find permanent jobs, but the drive and confidence to plan for their future.
“It is one thing to put people through courses and programmes, but employers want work experience and good references when looking for staff, which is why we see this programme as a full circle solution. Ultimately, we want businesses in Florida Road and surrounds to think of LIFE graduates first when they are looking for staff to employ,” said Wayne Stainforth of Western Star Recruitment Agency and chairman of the Florida Road UIP.
The LIFE programme is structured in such a way that it allows for a cycle of job creation that will see Florida Road sidewalk monitors moving onto permanent jobs, hence opening up space for other unemployed people to take their place as monitors, and slowly reducing the unemployment rate in the area.
This said, Florida Road UIP precinct manager Jarrod Evans stressed that while this cycle is important, so too is the success of the sidewalk monitor programme, which is dependent on the dedication and focus of the monitors.
“All our current monitors were car guards on the road before we implemented the sidewalk monitor programme. While the UIP doesn’t employ them, it has integrated them into a managed structure, which has elevated their status, given them a strong sense of purpose and has taught them pride in themselves and the road.
Instilling this in the new sidewalk monitors is non-negotiable and can only be achieved if the monitors are on the road for a reasonable period of time. This means the cycle of job creation will be slow and steady, which not only suits what we need in terms of monitor commitment, but allows for the time and experience needed to generate the references required for formal employment,” he said.
On the issues of criminal records and background checks, Evans explained that all current and future sidewalk monitors undergo full background checks for past and current criminal offences.
“None of our sidewalk monitors are linked to current or unsolved crimes, but some do have criminal records. This said, our monitor programme positive experience with all our monitors, reminding us that a criminal record does not necessarily define the character of a person,” he said.
