Five free initiatives to get jobseekers back to work

AT this time of year, jobseekers can face a difficult task securing their next role as the nation winds down for Christmas.

And this year there is the added burden of the country still recovering from the Covid hit, with employment and economic activity remaining well below pre-pandemic levels.

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If you need to improve your skillset or are at a career crossroads, help is at hand, as we focus on five free initiatives making a positive difference to jobseekers.

THE OPEN STUDY COLLEGE AND PRISONERS’ EDUCATION TRUST

ALMOST half of adult prisoners have no qualifications and 42 per cent were expelled from school.

This partnership between distance learning provider, Open Study College and the Prisoners’ Education Trust delivers courses from accounting to health and social care to help former inmates find work.

Find out more at prisonerseducation.org.uk.

YOUTH FUTURES FOUNDATION

THE not-for-profit organisation was established in 2019 to improve employment outcomes for young people from marginalised backgrounds.

This year the foundation’s projects have included working on inclusion for young Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.

Find out more at youthfuturesfoundation.org.

20/20 CHANGE

FORMER gang member Duro Oye set up 20/20 Change to close the education and employment gap for young black people.

The organisation provides training and support to equip youngsters with the tools they need to flourish in their chosen profession.

Discover more at 2020change.org.

THE PRINCE’S TRUST and BOOTS

EACH year, The Prince’s Trust helps unemployed young people find temporary roles over the busy festive season to build employability skills.

Some of this year’s trainees have already been offered permanent work.

Boots is also donating ten per cent of the profit from sales of wrapping paper and Christmas cards plus all the money raised throughout the year through the sale of paper carrier bags to The Prince’s Trust.

See bit.ly/3uSI9A4.

KFC HATCH VACANCIES

By 2030, a third of all new hires into KFC will be young people who have faced barriers to employment.

To kick off the pledge, the chicken chain has partnered with youth charity UK Youth to help 6,000 people build their work skills, confidence and get their first job through new employability programme “Hatch”.

Meghan Farren, General Manager at KFC UK&I, said: “If we’re to tackle the labour shortage and provide better jobs and economic growth across the country for the next generation, then we urgently need to help young people who have been excluded from education and training opportunities to find their feet in the workplace.”

Liam Cregan, 17, from Manchester, recently graduated from the programme.

He said: “In previous jobs I was constantly worried about doing something wrong, which led to so much self-doubt that really held me back.

“Hatch gave me structure and a positive environment which has helped me build resilience and enjoy my job.”

See ukyouth.org/get-involved/hatch.

Trust is key for in crowd

THIS year more than six million people work fully or partly from home.

While most employees feel they are more productive working from home, many managers worry they are not.

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So, how do you deal with your boss if they have “productivity paranoia”?

Jeremy Campbell, business transformation expert from the BlackIsleGroup.com, shares his top tips.

• Communicate – You’re boss is fretting because they can’t see you. Reassure your boss about what you are achieving by letting them know what you’re doing. Don’t leave your boss in the dark.
• Everyday actions – Work out what the small, everyday actions are that you can take to shift towards your team’s big goals. Focus on them and avoid distractions.
• Results – The way we work has changed. It’s not as much about time spent on the job. It’s now much more about the results we deliver.
• Trust – At the centre of “productivity paranoia” is a lack of trust often caused by poor leaders. You have to build trust with your boss.
• Exit – Power has shifted in the employee/employer relationship. If your morale has hit rock bottom because of a paranoid boss then you could resign. Find a boss who DOES trust and inspire you.

Blasting burnout

WITH four in five workers feeling “burned out” in the past year, companies are being challenged to commit five per cent of working hours to improving mental health.

The pledge from global health firm Cigna aims to inspire leaders to break the stigma of poor mental health “from the top”.

Arjan Toor, CEO of Cigna Europe, said: “We want to motivate business leaders globally to take The 5 Per Cent Pledge so we can create a community of like-minded leaders to drive positive change.”

See pledge5percent.com.

Take the flex step

MEET your perfect work match with new flexible working site WorkYourWay.

Developed by influencer Anna Whitehouse, aka Mother Pukka, the platform has been dubbed “Tinder for Flex” and matches up jobseekers looking for more control over their working environments with flexible roles across the globe.

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Studies show that nine in ten Brits are open to working flexibly but only one in four jobs advertise it as an option.

Campaigner Anna, founder of the Flex Appeal campaign, said: “Flexible working isn’t just for mums or dads. It’s for everyone.”

See workyourway.com.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk