JOB seekers are being urged this week to “give it a shot” and sign up to a new employment service.

The Gazette is backing the campaign to get people in Renfrewshire to join Fair Start Scotland, which will be delivered in the the west of the country by social enterprise, the Wise Group.

The aim is to help at least 3,400 people across Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, West and East Dunbartonshire to gain the skills they need to help them move towards work.

Tony Fitzpatrick, chief executive of St Mirren, joined Sean Duffy and Viv Sawers of the Wise Group at Paisley Town Hall to launch the service.

Tony said: “St Mirren prides itself on being at the heart of the community so it is great to see an initiative like this that will really benefit the people of Renfrewshire. I hope as many as possible sign up to give themselves the best chance of finding work.”

Mr Duffy, chief executive of the Wise Group, added: “Taking part in Fair Start won’t put people’s benefits at risk, while employers also gain through training programmes and work placements that meet recruitment needs.”

Henry Ainslie, group editor of Clyde Weekly Press, publishers of The Gazette, said: “We wholeheartedly support Fair Start Scotland’s work helping people in Renfrewshire learn the skills they need to find work in the area and we look forward to helping more people into employment.”

Fair Start Scotland focuses support on unemployed people further from the labour market and for whom work is a realistic prospect. It is aimed at 16 and 17-year-olds who are disabled, or in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit, and people over 18 who are out of work. It will match participants with an adviser, teach them new skills and help them build links with employers.

For further information see thewisegroup.co.uk/fairstart