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Clackmannanshire Works
Clackmannanshire Works is a local employability service designed to help people who are looking to get into work or progress in employment, as well as assist local businesses to develop and support local people with jobs and training.
Since it started in 2008, Clackmannanshire Works has provided support for thousands of local people between the ages of 16 and 67 years old. They include school leavers looking for work experience or apprenticeships, unemployed adults of working age who need support to overcome a range of barriers to employment, and parents who need to increase their income either through supporting them into work or increasing their wages and/or hours.
Just in the past year alone, Clackmannanshire Works has engaged with over 600 local people and supported over 250 people into sustainable and fair work.
Clackmannanshire Works offers person-centered support, tailored to meet each person’s specific needs and situations. Each person has a dedicated key worker and access to one to one support which can include confidence building, IT skills, money advice, job search skills, access to volunteering and work taster opportunities, industry specific training and clothes for interview/starting work.
For those who are ready to move into work, Clackmannanshire Works hosts a weekly Job Club called Job Worx in Alloa’s Speirs Centre during which a job broker offers advice on career options, creates links to employers, offers support with job applications and interview techniques, matches individuals with suitable vacancies and helps people develop CVs.
The service can offer funding for childcare and travel costs to enable individuals to take up training and interviews. Last but not least, Clackmannanshire Works’ support doesn’t end with a client getting a job. Key Workers will continue to offer support individuals to settle into a new job.
One of the people whose life changed after being supported by the service is Nour Alosh, a Syrian refugee who moved to Alloa to start a better life. She was referred to Clackmannanshire Works by her English Language tutor and was supported to build her confidence and self esteem before being helped with CV writing, job applications and interview skills. This support led to Nour being offered her first paid employment within the UK, working for the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
Her position was created as a result of Scottish Government funding for a programme to support long-term unemployed people into paid work experience placements.
Another example is Tam who was referred to Clackmannanshire Works after being unemployed for a long time but had experience working in Security. He was matched with a key worker who helped him to identify and fund relevant industry-specific training. Tam was also given bus vouchers, train passes and lunches for the duration of his training.
Having successfully passed all his training courses and completed his badge application, Tam is now being supported by Clackmannanshire Works to start proactively contacting security agencies for employment opportunities.
Last but not least, Niall Provan, 23, was supported by Clackmannanshire Works to take up an opportunity at Forth Rivers Trust in May 2021 funded by the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee. The opportunity was a full-time, one year post which allowed Niall to develop skills in river management and wildlife conservation.
Niall said: “The Young Persons Guarantee has provided me with a great opportunity of full-time employment in my industry following on from my Modern Apprenticeship. My first year at the Trust has been a brilliant experience and I’m really looking forward to working on new projects in the River Forth over the coming year.”
For more information on how Clackmannanshire Works could support you to progress towards and into work please contact us by email at cworks@clacks.gov.uk or by phone on 01259 226699.
As well as providing individual support to progress into employment, Clackmannanshire Works also works with local employers to recruit and train new staff by sourcing potential candidates for vacancies including apprenticeships, volunteering and work experience opportunities. Support can include advertising vacancies via the service’s employability networks.
Employment recruitment incentives such as the Fair Work Incentive can offer up to £6,000 to help with the cost of recruiting and keeping a new member of staff in employment for up to 52 weeks. The funding can contribute towards wages, additional supervisory costs, initial travel to work costs, training and other job-related costs, for example to support flexible working.
A business that benefited from the service’s recruitment support is Eddy’s Food Station based in Alloa. Eddy’s Food Station is a new retail store chain and was supported by Clackmannanshire Works during their recruitment process to source local suitable candidates for interview.
David Southern, Head of Central Services of Discovery Retail Trading Ltd, said: “Thanks for your involvement in steering us through the recruitment process locally. It was invaluable.
"The three candidates that were appointed directly through Clackmannanshire Works’ support are first class. I met them and the other new recruits for the first time and I really felt we had a great group.
"To have seen them come on so much in just seven days and playing a big part in such a major opening for us gives us real satisfaction."
For more information on how Clackmannanshire Works could help your business with your recruitment needs, please contact us by email at employerengagement@clacks.gov.uk or by phone on 01259 226699.
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