The Return to Work team for South Lakes and Eden. L to R Liz Hayhurst, Kellie Bradburn-Sims, Lynne Fox and Louise Wills (Administrator and first point of contact).
Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) and its partners are supporting local people – both employers and potential employees – to tackle long-term unemployment and get people back into work.
The Return to Work programme has been active across Cumbria since February 2008, funded by Cumbria County Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
“There are plenty of barriers for anyone wanting to find a job at the moment and even more so if someone has been out of work for a long time,” said Lynne Fox, Business Support and Planning Manager with CREA. “We’re providing practical support in Eden and South Lakes and have already helped more than 90 people through the Return to Work programme so far.”
The programme’s services are funded to continue across Cumbria until June 2010 and CREA has recently appointed two new members to its Return to Work team, Kellie Bradburn-Sims and Liz Hayhurst.
Kellie will play a key role as an Employment Broker, working with potential employers and with clients who are ready for a move into work.
“The clients I have worked with so far are really eager to work but sometimes need support on the specifics of a particular application form or interview,” she said. “I also spend time with potential employers, encouraging them to give clients an opportunity to prove what they can do and explaining the practical support that is available from CREA to make the process as positive as possible for everyone concerned. It is great to see how a few small steps can make all the difference to a client and enable an employer to recruit someone who is ideal for the job.”
Liz Hayhurst has worked on similar programmes elsewhere and also has over 20 years of experience in human resources management. Her role as Employment Officer focuses more on the early stages of discussion and goal setting with clients who need a confidence boost and practical help to apply for jobs.
“I help people to take their first steps back towards employment,” said Liz. “It might be that they need to consider very different jobs to their previous roles or that they need some refresher training to update their skills. Whatever the situation, I can support them, offer practical help on things like their CV, internet access or suitable clothes for an interview. Whatever they need to give them the confidence to go back into work, that’s what we’re about.”
Councillor Tony Markley, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member responsible for economic development, said: “Reducing worklessness has been a priority of the County Council for some time. The Council is pleased to be working closely with CREA and other partners in Cumbria on this project, which complements other initiatives like our Anti-Poverty Strategy.”
CREA is also playing a vital role for those taking a different approach to returning to work: “For some, ill health or redundancy is the catalyst that they need to make a move into self-employment,” said Lynne Fox. “New people are contacting us for help starting up and we can offer them practical support too. These are people who have been employed but are making a fresh start and thinking about setting up their own businesses.”
David Hunter, Head of Rural Development at the NWDA, said: “Tackling long-term worklessness is complex but Return to Work has made huge strides by providing support throughout the employment process, from access to training and preparing a CV to getting to applying for a job and getting to an interview.”
“By giving people opportunities to work, the programme is boosting the local economy, meeting the needs of employers and improving the quality of life for the individuals.”
Bob Clark is Executive Director of CREA: “Our programmes are delivering valuable practical support to people in the area who want to work, whatever their past circumstances. The Cumbrian economy needs to make the most of all the skills that are available and it is encouraging to see people bouncing back from illness or recent redundancy, wanting to find work or create new opportunities for employment.”
|
