Greener Kirkcaldy Traineeship: Embedding Flexible, Lone Parent Positive Workplaces
Fife Gingerbread’s Lone Parent Positive Workplaces Fife (LPPWF) initiative continues to challenge traditional employability pathways and advocate for change for lone parents moving into Fair Work. Many highly motivated parents face barriers not because of skills or ambition, but because flexible, family-friendly roles are scarce. Our initiative connects lone parents with employment that values empathy, support, and progression — the principles they have told us matter most.
Our latest partnership with Greener Kirkcaldy, a community-led third sector organisation tackling climate change and fuel poverty, demonstrates how inclusive employers can create meaningful, flexible roles that benefit both employees and their organisational vision. Over several years, Fife Gingerbread and Greener Kirkcaldy have built a relationship rooted in shared values of community, sustainability, and inclusion. Greener Kirkcaldy has a strong programme of employability and regularly supports volunteers to move onto positive destinations such as further education or paid work. The partnership with Fife Gingerbread was a natural extension of this work.
Tailored Roles & Flexibility
The traineeship model, supported by Employer Recruitment Incentives in Fife, is embedded with co-production principles to ensure employers and lone parents have a voice in the development of the programme.
Three roles were recruited for:
Admin Assistant – supporting the welcome area and IT resourcing.
Communications Assistant – assisting the media team with project promotion.
Assistant Bike Mechanic – upcycling bikes and supporting the local shop within the Active Travel Hub.
Each role was shaped around the individual, accommodating flexibility and support needs from the start. This included hybrid working opportunities, tailored hours, and practical support when specific challenges arose.
Greener Kirkcaldy’s existing culture of inclusion and sustainable practices made the organisation a natural fit for a traineeship. Staff were committed to creating a supportive environment where parents could balance work and family life while gaining valuable experience.
As a flexible employer, Greener Kirkcaldy was able to draw on a range of existing policies and cultural norms that aligned perfectly with the traineeship model. Family-friendly working practices, flexible hours and a strong emphasis on wellbeing created the conditions for lone parents to participate fully and confidently. Established procedures such as structured inductions, regular one-to-one support and clear development pathways ensured trainees felt guided and valued throughout their placement. These practices were not created for the traineeship, they were already part of how Greener Kirkcaldy works and this foundation made it easy to adapt the programme around individual needs. By combining flexibility with a culture of trust and compassion, Greener Kirkcaldy was able to offer a traineeship experience that genuinely supported lone parents to thrive.
The team observed how this flexibility proved crucial for sustainment. One lone parent was using public transport to get to work which was causing some issues and time, but Greener Kirkcaldy allowed the worker to use the work van on specific days, to mutual benefit. There have also been hybrid opportunities which allows further opportunity to balance work life and home life.
Skills, Confidence, and Progression
The traineeship offered parents the chance to develop new skills, gain confidence, and improve their family lives — all made possible by the flexibility embedded in their roles.
Skill development and progression: Roles were shaped around their strengths and learning goals, with opportunities to progress discussed early on.
Confidence and support: Trainees had mentoring and guidance from both Fife Gingerbread and Greener Kirkcaldy staff, giving them reassurance as they built independence in the workplace.
Family and financial impact: Flexible hours, hybrid working, and practical support such as access to transport enabled parents to balance work with caring responsibilities. This support translated directly into tangible improvements for families, such as paying for school trips, attending activities, and celebrating important milestones.
This partnership shows what’s possible when employers and support organisations work together to break down barriers. Lone parents gained skills, confidence, and stability while Greener Kirkcaldy benefitted from motivated, talented staff who enriched their work and community impact.
Flexible, empathetic, and supportive workplaces don’t just benefit employees, they strengthen families and communities. Seeing the benefit in their organisation first hand, Greener Kirkcaldy have agreed to pilot the Lone Parent Charter here in Fife.
Greener Kirkcaldy’s example shows how third sector organisations can lead the way in inclusive employment, embedding Fair Work principles, and truly listening to parent voices.
Now, more employers can follow this model to create roles that are not only fair, but genuinely Lone Parent Positive.