Back to Work Training Initiatives

Farida Aslam

Inclusion Coordinator lead for MHA’s:

• Financial, • Economic and • Digital Inclusion Work

Introduction

• Share MHAs experience of employability work

• Introduce our Work and Skills Wise service and the operational initiatives we run under it

• And take questions on our approach.

Note of caution – this is MHAs way based on the needs of our tenants works for us as its based on need expressed and the gaps in the market..... more later on this.

The aim of the session is to ....

• MHA Came into being as a stock transfer in January 2008, soon after started its Financial Inclusion work.

• FI was for us was all about addressing the immediate financial problem our tenants faced

• A key part of FI work was income maximisation ... E.g. Ensuring benefit are in place.....this seemed to us a short term approach to addressing FI....

Background.......

• Looking at the long term MHA started work on a concept called “ultimate Income maximisation”

• Supporting tenants those tenants who wanted assistance to help themselves

• Moving off benefits and into work

Background.......

Background.......• 2010 we consulted with our tenants• Identified support already available

for employment • Identified gaps/captured need• Considered our capacity to take on

this and made • our commitment to commenced

employability work.....

Background....... MHA’s work is thus offered on a 2 pronged approach

1. Addressing the immediate issues via our Money Wise services

2. Addressing the long term issues via our Work and Skills Wise service

MHA’s Work & Skills Wise service....

Aim:

• Promoting Education • Building Confidence• Raising Aspirations

• Work & Skills Wise services offers 5 operational projects delivered by 3 staff members.

Cath Murray

Claire Howells

Paul Collins

Work & Skills Wise

Job Seeking

Skills Programme

Bursary Scheme

Computers in the

Community Scheme

Life long learning & training

Volunteering

Job Seeking Skills Programme • 6 weeks innovative job seeking skills programme Small groups of 6 no more than 8

• Considers how to approach thejob market, where to look, the hidden job market, internet and other informal contact

• How to complete application forms, type of applications, preparation, and confidence

• CV development tips, good and bad CV’s what to include what not to

• Interview techniques, good and bad interviews learning from the past

• Where next ... Participants leaves with the skills needed to finding work...

Outcomes...

50% of those that completed MHA first Job seeking skills programme

secured employment as

a result.

• We have now used our JSS programme to develop a project to tackle NEET Unemployment in Monmouthshire..... 1st phase has also delivered 50% success rate... More about that later ......

Computers in the Community

• A computer loan scheme that allows MHA tenants to borrow laptop computers from MHA for a certain period of time.

• The laptops are provided in order to help you complete educational courses and learn computer related skills.

• Tenants sign a the user agreement

• Only one laptop can be issued per household

• Must have completed two courses already, adding up to a total of 12 weeks.

• Must be willing to enroll on further courses.

Outcomes...

MHA lave loan over 60 laptops to date

Over 200 courses have been completed

Bursary Scheme • Helps service users improve skills and personal

development

• Bursary can be for anything related to education, training and self development that can demonstrate progress of help towards employment

• Paying course fees;

• Buying course materials

• Role involves finding suitable courses & putting learners in touch with course providers or other financial schemes

Outcomes... Claire:

“I didn’t have any confidence and was

really nervous about learning. I read in

the ‘Money Matters’Newsletter that

MHA was able to help with learning &

skills and decided to telephone to

find out more.

They were really helpful and I have now

completed a number of courses which I

couldn’t have afforded to do if I’d had to

pay for them myself – They call it the

Bursary scheme”

Kate a beneficiary of Work & Skills Wise service involved in active learning, Bursary scheme and volunteering now a manager in a local public house.

Volunteering• It aim is to help them gain valuable experience

in the workplace

• MHA have opened all department up to volunteering

• Managers and staff members have received training about their roles.

• Volunteering is offered on a needs led basis - match

• Work placements are brokered not only internally but externally too.

• Volunteering pack – introducing Volunteering at MHA

• Induction pack for Manager (Roles/ Responsiblities)• Application form/verbal request to volunteer• Induction pack for volunteers includes:

Volunteering log Confidentially statement

Confidentially agreement Personal development record Exit questionnaire Training course attended whilst

vol..• Reference provided

Volunteering

Volunteering continued ...

• looking at our supply chain to see if our suppliers can take on volunteers

• enhancing the experience that we offer tenants by taking continual feedback.

• Providing volunteering as a route to skills development and an introduction to tenants participation.

Life long learning & training • Offers informal group learning with partnership with

Adult education from a basic skills point of view

• Helps enrol tenants on formal education in college, via distance learning or enrol on units via South Wales university.

• Assist with NVQs

• Other training e.g. Training to become childminders

• Assist with becoming self employed working with Centre for Business

• Developing informal learning support groups and introducing tenants into TP structure.

• MHA have worked with over 250 tenants to date

• Project range from self employment

• Basic skills learning

• Computer skills

• Money management courses

• Job seeking skills course

Outcomes...

Basic skills and Job seeking

Passport to beauty with Charter Housing

How the service works ..... Referrals from NO to Money Wise or directly to W&SW

Name: Date:

Address

Contact number

Email address

Date of birth

Benefits received

Education/Training

Work Experience/ employment Voluntary Full-time Part-timeNot worked

Recent area of workDo you want To return to that area? Y

es

No

Long term goal

Do you have any criminal convictions?

Yes No

Personal CircumstancesChildcare, language - mobility needs, other access to internet & transport

Referral by

Self referrals

Individual action plan NAME:

Address:

Contact details:

Start date: Expected end date: Actual end date:

Long Term Aims and Goals:

Steps Needed to Achieve This:

DATE Objective Tasks to complete. Review date

WORK AND SKILLS WISE

CASE STUDY, CLIENT CONSENT FORM

I, _________________________________________

Give my consent for Monmouthshire Housing Association, as part of my involvement with Work and Skills Wise service, to use me as a case study.

The information I provide to the Work and Skills Wise team may be used for the purpose of promoting the Work and Skills Wise Service to other potential users, be it online publicity or for news articles.

Signed _______________________________________

Date ___________________

MHA: Promoting Education, Developing Experience, Raising Aspiration

Consent form

Work in practice • Lead officer • Receives referral• Complete assessment & (Basic skills) • Develops personal action plan • Provide one to one support• Deliver JSSP • Broker Vol Placements • Administers Bursary scheme & courses

Claire HowellsW&SW Officer

Paul CollinsDI Advisor

Cath Murray

• Lead DI officer• Delivers the

CITC scheme, • Assist with

training tenant with opening email accounts

• Affordable internet connect

• Lead officer for Youth unemployment project

• Responsible for recording outcomes and all programme support.

Partners

Partnership working strategically

• Chair Employment and skills partnership • Post 16 education partnership • Youth offer Partnership • Local regeneration partnership• Chair Monmouthshire Learning festival

Monmouthshire Employment & Skills Fair

Outcomes?? • 337 attended • 78% found the fair useful • 50 job application from were

received by one company alone..

• CV and application form desk 50 people supported with CV advice

• Time consuming but!• We will do it again next year

Outcomes.... • 119 supported• 55 volunteers • 35 non MHA tenants

volunteers • 60 computers on loan • 75 enrolled • £2670 bursary • 37 tenants and non tenants

gained employment • 6 self employed

Tackling NEET Unemployment MHA and Monmouthshire Youth

service Way Into Work project

• Designed to improve employment prospects of young 18-24 year olds in Monmouthshire.

• Funded by DWP Flexible Support Fund and ran for 9 months from September 2012 to May 2013.

• Two key themes in the project • Developing the YP & Equipping the YP skills to

gain a job

Way Into Work project

Developing the Y Person• To Motivate young people, • To build Confidence• To enhance/develop Communication Skills; • To enhance/develop Team Building skills using

linked to the natural environment.• To arrange Work Placement Tasters, lasting 2

weeks based on the young's peoples chosen occupational sector.

Equipping YP with the skills• To develop Employability and Job search skills• To help develop skills for CV preparation, • To help develop job application/form filling skills • To help prepare for effective performance at

interviews and • To introduce participants to job search resources

Way Into Work project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpNwc8aTceg -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN7i_B3-qXU

Moving forward.... • Work are looking to develop and build on our

Work & Skills Wise service • Helping those that are furthest removed from

the labour market • Capturing research • Working in partnership and filling the gaps.

Thank you for listening

Do you have any questions