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Video Gallery |
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Find out more about the
project by viewing short
video clips. |
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Contact Us |
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View the different
methods you can use to
contact us. |
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Overview and
Description of Support |
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The North Staffs Workforce
Development Project is
funded through the Learning
Skills Council, Advantage
West Midlands, North Staffs
Regeneration Zone, and
Government Office for The
West Midlands; utilising ESF
(European Social Fund)
funding.
The project seeks to provide
support and the opportunity
for individual workers,
within the ceramic and non
ceramic sectors in North
Staffordshire, to train and
re-skill/up-skill to meet
the demands of a changing
job market.
To support those who are
under formal threat of
redundancy and those made
redundant within 6 months of
registering with the
project. This includes
the provision of training
and support for workers so
affected, within the
workplace, where such
training is for the express
purpose of placement into
another role for which they
were not previously
suitable.
In addition, the project
will engage with
beneficiaries in the
workplace who are seeking to
re-skill/up-skill to secure
long term employment.
Such training will develop
skills that are generic and
transferable within the
workplace.
The level of activity
between each of these groups
will be in accordance with
the project profile and
funder requirements.
The project runs until March
2009 and will support over
6,000 workers.
The project links with other
trade unions to ensure that
the service is available for
the benefit of everyone in
the area. It is also
available to non trade
unionists, shop floor
workers, Administration
staff and Managers.
Support is offered to meet
the needs of the individual
and includes:
- Initial Assessment.
- Skills For Life screening
(including ICT).
- One-to-one confidential
advice given by qualified
Careers Advice and Guidance
staff (Matrix Accredited).
- Training needs analysis.
- The development of a
careers action plan before
considering how learning can
support their individual
short and longer term aims.
Subsequent action plans are
developed as individuals
move forward in developing
new skills to meet their
changing needs.
- Provision of work ready
skills.
- Providing support and the
opportunity for individual
workers to train and
re-skill/up-skill to meet
the demands of a changing
job market. This can
be academic or practical
vocational training leading
to employment, including
unaccredited courses and
accredited short courses.
- Referrals to specialist
organisations. E.g.
Re. benefit allowances, debt
counselling, Business Link
in the case of people
wanting to become self
employed or start up their
own business etc.
- Ongoing support,
mentoring, and tracking.
- Job search to enable
progression into employment.
- Exit interview.
The project is subject to
the following limitations:
- The project will not
support people who were made
redundant more than 6 months
prior to their initial
contact with the project.
People unemployed longer
than this will be referred
to Jobcentre Plus.
- Funding is limited and the
project sets a 'cap' on the
amount the individual can
take. For most people
there is sufficient funding
to meet all their
requirements. The
funding limit will change
over the lifetime of the
project since it is geared
to the average spend of the
beneficiaries.
- All training is targeted
at getting individuals back
into work.
- All activity shall be
completed, evidenced and
claimed before the project
end date.
Training and other support
services are purchased on
behalf of the beneficiary
from a wide range of public
and private providers that
have been assessed in terms
of their quality,
capability, capacity, and
value.
Beneficiaries are not
therefore limited by the
courses available from one
provider and can access
almost any type of training
that is vocational and will
help them secure new
employment. From a
project management point of
view the approach taken
ensures that overheads are
kept to a minimum and
management itself can
efficiently support people
from different geographical
areas.
The project has so far
engaged with 5,600
workers (updated 3rd January
2008) from 440
separate companies.
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