Glasgow Works Make 2010 The Year For A Career Not Just A Job
For Mark Howard from Hillhead in the West End of Glasgow, 2010 has opened up a new world of employment opportunities thanks to a visit to his Local Regeneration Agency (LRA).
Mark, who had been unemployed since November 2008, is the 2000th person to be assisted into employment through Glasgow Works, the partnership tasked with engaging long-term unemployed and those furthest removed from the labour market, to find them a route into sustainable employment.
Mark’s journey began when he visited Glasgow West Regeneration Agency last July. Although he had no experience in nursing care, having worked in pubs before claiming unemployment benefit, Mark was interested in working in this field.
Jai Dhillon, Mark’s employment advisor, suggested that to get work experience and crucially, training, he could apply to the NHS Training for Work programme, as an auxiliary nurse.
With coaching and assistance Mark passed the interview and selection process for the seven week placement and having successfully completed the training Mark has now secured a job as a nursing assistant at the Southern General Hospital and couldn’t be happier.
Mark said: “I am really glad that I decided to visit GWRA. Having been unemployed for so long my confidence and self-esteem had taken a nose dive and I knew that I didn’t have the qualifications and experience to get a job that I really wanted to do. I wasn’t even really sure where to start.
“I think the one to one help I received from Jai to work out a way forward was valuable and we also took it at a steady pace so that I could be as prepared as I possibly could for interviews, tests and starting employment. He kept me motivated and helped me sort problems with my housing benefit and jobseekers allowance when I started the placement.
“I also received financial assistance when travelling to different hospitals for job interviews; otherwise I wouldn’t have had the funds to attend them.”
“Now that I’m in permanent employment I’m really looking forward to this year and how my life and hopefully my career will change for the better.”
“For long-term unemployed people getting back to work can be a lengthy, difficult and frightening process but the end result for the LRA is always to see the person sustain employment and develop their career”, said Jai.
Jai continued: “Glasgow Works, though the LRAs, create employability pathways for individuals, as every client’s needs are different. This assists them into the labour market and crucially, supports them to remain in employment.”
Glasgow Works delivers the city’s Welfare to Work City Strategy that targets, amongst others, lone parents, ethnic minorities, those in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, young people not in education or employment (18-24 year olds) and the over 50s age group.
The employability programmes, delivered by the city’s five Local Regeneration Agency’s and their partners, have engaged with more than 16,000 people since mid 2008, helping them start the journey to employment, including organising further education, training and qualifications, setting up a business, childcare, help with personal circumstances such as homelessness.
This original Welfare to Work City Strategy programme was due to complete in June this year however; due to Glasgow’s success the city has been awarded a further £2.8m from the European Social Fund. Together with funding from Fairer Scotland Fund and the Department for Work and Pensions this gives a budget of over £6.3m that will allow the programme to run until June 2011.
David Coyne, Director of Glasgow Works, said “Mark is exactly the kind of person we are trying to help, he had been out of work on and off for a while and needed help to kick start a career, not just another job.
“Glasgow Works has used its investment funding to pull together a programme with the NHS and the regeneration agencies in the city and Mark and the others who have been through this programme are the result.
“Employers, the public sector and charities and voluntary organisations can achieve great results when they work together to join up job opportunities, training and individual help for Glasgow people.”
Councillor George Ryan, Executive Member for Business and the Economy at Glasgow City Council, said: “The Council recognises the importance of the Glasgow Works partnership and the city’s local regeneration agencies to our economy, particularly their work in those parts of the city needing targeted help. Both are vital in times of economic downturn as they play a front line role in getting people back into work.
Glasgow Works’ accomplishment comes soon after having learned this week that it has successful in its bid to secure £1.6million of funding from the second round of the UK Government’s Future Jobs Fund. This money will fund new jobs for the city’s young unemployed people, to help develop their experiences in the world of work.
This money will create 250 high quality jobs with training for young people who have been unemployed for 10-12 months and is in addition to the 300 created last October. The Council and its partners will offer a range of jobs in environmental, arts and community settings that will provide individuals with real work experience and high quality support for them to move into permanent jobs as they become available.
Glasgow Works will co-ordinate the initiative on behalf of the Council.
Glasgow’s local regeneration agencies (LRAs) offer a wide range of options to help people identify the most appropriate employability pathway for them.
There are friendly and approachable employment advisers in each area of the city, who give practical support and assistance to people in an informal environment.
Contact information for Local Regeneration Agencies
Glasgow East Regeneration Agency, 0141 781 2000, www.gera.org.uk
Glasgow West Regeneration Agency, 0141 949 4949, www.gwra.org.uk
Glasgow South West Regeneration Agency, 0141 445 4554, www.gswra.co.uk
Glasgow South East Regeneration Agency, 0141 429 6314, www.gsera.org.uk
Glasgow North Regeneration Agency, 0141 552 5413, www.glasgownorth.org.uk
Glasgow Works is a partnership that includes Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Job Centre Plus, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, Skills Development Scotland, Glasgow Employer Coalition
Topics: 2010, Britain, career, Economy, Glasgow, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, Glasgow Employer Coalition, Glasgow Works, Governance, government, Great Britain, Job Centre Plus, job search, Local Regeneration Agency, LRA, moniter, monitor, news, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland, Skills Development Scotland, U.K., UK, United Kingdom
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