Mr Ruane, speaking at ceremony at Morfa Hall in Rhyl where he presented graduation certificates to 17 of the 26 people who passed training schemes run by Pobl@Gwaith in Rhyl and Wrexham, said: “Each and every person who has graduated from the training should feel very proud of their achievement.

“They have all faced and overcome many different challenges and have shown a real commitment to building a new career for themselves.”

The European-funded initiative run by the Pennaf Housing Group in partnership with Wales Council for Voluntary Action helps people who have been unemployed gain skills and practical experience.

Mr Roger Waters, chairman of the Pennaf Housing Group who introduced the event, said the graduates were inspiring and he thanked partner organisations for their support and for providing placements in social care settings for the trainees.

He said:“A large part of the success of the training is down to the experiences trainees have on their placements, not only with projects run by the Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, which is part of the Pennaf Group but also with outside organisations such as The North Wales Probation service, Nacro , SOVA Dewi Sant, and Working links. Other agencies such as Touchstones 12, Cornerstones, The Princes Trust and Channel have also provided valuable Placement opportunities.

Successful Pobl@Gwaith trainees can apply for a ‘zero hours’ contract with Clwyd Alyn Housing to provide standby relief cover as project workers. Many have gone on to gain full time contracts with Clwyd Alyn and other employers.