21 August 2000

ONE YEAR ON AND THE SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR MAEVE

MAEVE Grant is a familiar face to most people, the length and breadth of Northern Ireland.

As one of the first New Deal participants and a lone parent, the Omagh girl landed one of the biggest advertising campaign roles of the year - featuring on every bus across the province.

Through the 'New Deal is Working for me...' campaign, Maeve won many friends and most importantly carried a message of hope to unemployed people everywhere.

Maeve's year on New Deal is now up and not only has she found the job of her dreams working and caring for the next generation of young people in the Treehouse Kindergarten, outside Omagh, she will also get married later this week.

"New Deal was a brilliant step forward for me," says Maeve.

"The funding was there and the support from local people involved with the programme was tremendous."

Twenty four year old Maeve took up the challenge of training under the New Deal's Full Time Education and Training Option and delivered by Omagh Council as New Deal Lead Partner in the area.

"I split my time on New Deal between the challenges of a work placement at the Montessori Tree House Kindergarten and, working towards obtaining a real qualification, an NVQ Level 3 in Childcare.

"As a lone parent, it was great to be able to work in the same nursery that my daughter Aoife attended - enabling me to progress my career plans as well as building my family and my future."

Not only has Maeve obtained her qualifications through New Deal, she has also started to work towards her Montessori Childcare degree through her new employer. She adds: "Childcare in Northern Ireland is vitally important and I'm delighted to say that the government is helping raise this standard through the National Childcare Strategy which seeks to maximise the welfare of the child.

"I've now been offered a full time job with the Tree House Nursery and look forward to the challenges of the future. The degree will further help me develop my skills at work.

"There are tremendous opportunities in Childcare right here as more parents realise the importance of good care and carers."

But, says Maeve,New Deal helped her make her mark: "New Deal is and will remain an excellent opportunity for all unemployed people. It can help motivate people who need an incentive while helping develop those like myself who have an ambition.

"At the Montessori Tree House we treat every single child as an individual - it's the only way to develop people. On a much larger scale that's what New Deal has done for me - supporting me as a person and not just another unemployed person."

Maeve's employer, Mary McCarten, says her story is one that should be shared with others out there:

"It's good for childcare that New Deal linked us with the right person for our job. It takes a very special, qualified person to be able to work with children and Maeve has fulfilled all of our expectations.

"We are delighted to have been able to play an important role in Maeve's career development and perhaps even more delighted to have recruited a new employee of this calibre."

Lone parents who are interested in undertaking training or finding work through New Deal should contact their local JobCentre or Lone Parent Adviser in their Social Security office for further information or freephone 0800 353530.

 

NOTES TO EDITOR

Media Enquiries contact: Kevin Mulhern, Press Office, telephone 028 9025 7790 or mobile 07799 711523

Photographs are also available from the Press Office.