Almost two hundred people attended the recent North East Wales launch of the new ADTRAC project in Wrexham and Flintshire.
The two events, held at Connah’s Quay Civic Hall and Plas Pentwyn Resource Centre in Coedpoeth, Wrexham, were packed with attendees from across the education, health, criminal justice, youth and employment service sectors.
Delegates from across the region heard how the ADTRAC East team plan to meet ambitious targets of supporting more than 300 young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) over the next two to three years in Wrexham and Flintshire.
The timing of the events coincided with the Time to Talk mental health annual awareness campaign across the UK, given the focus of the project to support young people aged 16-24 to address their mental health issues as barriers to their engagement in education, training, employment.
A spokesman for Wrexham County Borough Council said: “The launch of the ADTRAC project has been a real success across Wrexham and Flintshire, both events have been extremely well attended and the level of interest in the project has been remarkable.
“We will build upon the platform that that has been created through these events by continuing to work in partnership with a wide range of local organisations to support young people aged 16-24 to engage in training, education and employment opportunities in a way that suits them.”
New opportunities for young people
This new project is part funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government, offering personalised support to young people to remove barriers and help their progression into work, education or training.
This will include one-to-one support from personal ADTRAC mentors or NHS mental health practitioners as well as tailored training and courses designed to meet the specific needs of young people engaged in the project.
Partnership-working
ADTRAC is led by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai across North Wales, working in partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council, Flintshire County Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board,with the support of the Department for Work and Pensions and Careers Wales.
The project will be referral based and is designed to support existing services by promoting a collaborative approach and working together with organisations across the region.
Sara Williams, ADTRAC 16-24 Regional Manager, said: “ADTRAC is a £10.4m initiative led by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, and delivered by the six North Wales local authorities and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
“By providing access to trusted advice, support and working alongside partners and employers, ADTRAC will ensure that young adults have the best possible opportunity to overcome the barriers they face and to effectively participate in society through achieving a positive outcome.”
Find out more about the project at https://www.gllm.ac.uk/adtrac/ or get in touch with the ADTRAC team for Wrexham and Flintshire at: ADTRAC@wrexham.gov.uk for further details regarding the referral process for organisations as well as self-referrals.
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