Derby City Council has announced a new range of support services for unemployed residents, especially those facing personal or economic barriers to finding a job.
The Derby Employment Hub is a three-year project starting in March 2020, running until March 2023.
Part-funded by the European Social Fund, The Hub will support unemployed people who face multiple barriers to work.
The project is in partnership with Department of Work and Pensions and will specifically help people without basic maths and language skills, single adult families, people from BAME communities, the over 50s, and people with disabilities or health conditions which have a long-term and significant impact on their daily lives.
A broad range of support will be offered by the Hub, including work preparation and job application advice, plus information about self-employment, work experience opportunities and apprenticeships, basic skills, digital skills and functional English to support eligible non-English speakers.
Derby Employment Hub is part of The Way2Work partnership led by Nottingham City Council, that brings together some of the local authorities in D2N2, as well as community organisations and training providers. It will create an integrated network of employment support which will help to meet the recruitment needs of local employers.
D2N2 Head of People & Skills, Rachel Quinn said: “D2N2 recognises that many of our residents experience barriers to employment. A lack of or outdated skills, a financial crisis, health conditions, or caring responsibilities can all provide barriers to sustained employment.”
“The Derby Employment Hub and the Way2Work partnership, working with both employers and individuals, can help to break down those barriers and help those people who want to progress into work.”
Derby City Councillor Evonne Williams, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The Derby Employment Hub is a brilliant project to help support residents who are facing difficulties in finding work for a wide range of reasons.”
“Through no fault of their own, many individuals in Derby find themselves without work and may struggle to change this situation without extra support and advice. The team are committed to helping those individuals by providing them with the resources and information to secure employment.”
Recruiting inclusively
TheWay2Work partnership is launching amid a drive led by D2N2 to improve employment practices across the region.
As part of its People & Skills strategy, D2N2 is encouraging employers to widen their search for talent to include those who might be excluded from traditional recruiting processes for a variety of reasons, despite possessing the skills employers increasingly require.
Part of this strategy is the use of creation of the Recruiting Talent campaign which seeks to prompt business leaders to look in new areas for talent that often experience barriers to the workplace, be they for health, logistical, or situation reasons.
By amending their recruitment processes to be more inclusive, businesses can unlock an untapped pool of talent, allowing them to fill their skills gaps.
There are currently Recruiting Talent workshops taking place across Nottinghamshire.
