Young people are turning their lives around thanks to a scheme run by Aberdeen City Council and a North-East charity for youth homelessness and unemployment.
The local authority joined forces with Aberdeen Foyer to offer seasonal gardening placements to out-of-work people instead of hiring agency staff.
Steven Shaw, environment manager at the city council, said the programme helped a number of long-term job-seekers get back on their feet last year and would be repeated again this summer.
Between 10 and 12 workers will be taken on by council maintenance teams on a short-term basis, with the opportunity to secure a full-time post.
Mr Shaw said: “The majority of the guys have been absolutely excellent and some have been recruited full-time. We take them full circle – a lot of these guys come from difficult backgrounds and we are able to help them get into a working environment.”
Ryan Cardosi is originally from Wick, but moved to Aberdeen in search of employment after spending more than a year fruitlessly looking for work. The 25-year-old, who now lives at Hardgate, Aberdeen, signed on with the Foyer programme, agreeing to work without pay for the first three months to gain experience.
He said: “I have lived in Wick all my life, but there were no jobs up there, it was a nightmare.”
“The first three months I was not getting paid, which was difficult – you feel like you are doing it for nothing. But it paid off in the end. Now I have a full-time job, I have my own place and just bought a car.”
Aberdeen Foyer executive director Leona McDermid said the scheme had a positive impact even for those who did not end up with a full-time job.
She said: “We are working with individuals who are furthest from the job market, who may have drug or alcohol issues, or who have issues around homelessness.
“This kind of scheme helps people move into a world that they would have really struggled to get into otherwise.
“It is good experience and people can develop what we call soft skills – things like turning up on time and interacting with colleagues – which many people take for granted"
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