BRYN'S A HAPPY CHAPPY! HERE'S WHY...

Bryn Lloyd is our Media Assistant and joined Candy Jar in August thanks to the Jobs Growth Wales Scheme. The Scheme supports businesses in recruiting young people aged between 16-24 by subsidising the wages of the new recruit for the first six months of their employment. Acorn Recruitment in Newport worked closely with Candy Jar to help them take Bryn on full time through JGW.

Candy Jar Ltd has found the scheme to be a great boost. Taking away the risk of recruiting new staff has meant the Directors can focus on building the company and using the extra help to do more. With big plans for the future, JGW could well be the helping hand that pushes Candy Jar up to the next level as a creative business.

Bryn has proved to be a great asset to the team, and has settled well into his role.

He says: "My job covers the two sides of the company – video production and publishing. Because of that, it's impressively varied. One day I may be copy editing a new book title, the other I might be out on a film shoot. It requires a broad set of skills and in my time at Candy Jar so far, I've learnt some valuable lessons about the industry."

Bryn is a Glamorgan University graduate, having studied Film for three years. "My course was almost entirely theoretical, so I didn't have much of a chance to get 'hands on' with camera equipment or anything. However, working for Candy Jar has meant taking on exciting challenges where I have learned more practical skills, such as using a digital camcorder or editing in Final Cut Pro, so naturally it's enormous fun."

Bryn has benefitted greatly from his first full time employment since graduating: "It's great to be in the office – because the work is so varied, no two days are the same and I'm grateful to have had an opportunity to play my part in Candy Jar's exciting growth over the coming months."

JOBS GROWTH WALES

With the Welsh economy struggling and youth unemployment rising, investment in young people has never been more important. In April 2012 the Job Growth Wales programme successfully launched, throwing a lifeline to young unemployed 16-24 year-olds.

Catering for young people that are job ready but have had difficulty securing employment, the Jobs Growth Wales programme a job opportunity for a six month period paid at national minimum wage.

Cardiff-based video production company and publisher, Candy Jar, is delighted to be part of the Jobs Growth Wales Scheme. Company director, Shaun Russell, said: “As a small business with big plans we knew that employing additional staff would be essential, but doing so required taking a huge risk. Jobs Growth Wales has enabled us to take this important step without the financial worries. The company has moved forward in leaps and bounds since we hired the new team, achieving far more than we could have envisaged six months ago.”

The Jobs Growth Wales scheme focuses on occupations as diverse as manufacturing, sales negotiation, nursery assistants, care assistants, hairdressers, marketing and publishing. To date, 300 vacancies have either been filled or are awaiting interviews by unemployed young people.

Adrian Hitt, Business Development Manager for Educ8 has expressed how beneficial the programme has been throughout Wales. He said: “The success of the programme is based on the invaluable opportunities it provides, firstly for the young recruit who not only gains relevant work experience but it also positively enhances their employability and life skills ensuring their prospects for gaining sustainable employment are fully maximised. The programme also provides an opportunity for the employer as the extra resource it provides will enable them to expand and grow at a quicker rate.”

For more information about video production or publishing visit www.candy-jar.co.uk