The type of job we have and job opportunities available to us can have a huge effect on our health and wellbeing.

Have a look at some of the work which is currently taking place to get people into employment in West Lancashire below.

 

More Positive Together

More Positive Together (MPT) and MPT Steps are European Union Social Fund employability projects designed to help West Lancashire residents improve their skills, employment prospects and develop health and wellbeing resilience. The projects are part of a pan-Lancashire scheme led by Active Lancashire and delivered by partners across the county including housing associations, the Prince's Trust and, in West Lancashire and Lancaster, through the local authority.

Both programmes provide various support pathways to individuals identified as being furthest away from the labour market, economically inactive and affected by multiple and complex barriers to their employability, such as: long term unemployment, poverty and debt, substance misuse, housing crisis, low skills and educational attainment and caring responsibilities.

The programme uses a combination of 1:1 mentoring model and working across a referral network of 26 different partners from a wide range of sectors.

West Lancashire Borough Council is currently delivering the More Positive Together programme and has recently been successful in securing funding to deliver the MPT Steps schemes working with a range of partners to enable and empower local people through the schemes. Both programmes are running until December 2023.

Find out more on the West Lancashire Borough Council website More Positive Together - West Lancashire Borough Council (westlancs.gov.uk - opens in a new window)

 

Kickstart

West Lancashire Borough Council is delighted to announce that the Wellbeing and Place Employability Team has supported 210 local young people into kickstart placements over the last 13 months. The Council has partnered with more than 45 businesses to make this ambitious number a reality.

Out of the 210 young people entering placements and going through the six-month Kickstart scheme, 68 have so far reported back that they have secured employment. We hope to see this number increase monthly as more and more young people continue to complete their placements.

Find out more on the West lancashire Borough Council website Kickstart Scheme - West Lancashire Borough Council (westlancs.gov.uk - opens in a new window)

The impact on the young people coming through the scheme has been incredible, please see just a few quotes from the young people we have supported:

Alix: "Hi, just writing to let you know that I completed my first week at The Chapel and settled in straight away and I have had amazing feedback from the team. I'd just like to thank you for your help with getting me this job. I actually look forward to going into work, something I never thought I’d ever feel."

Laura: "I would just like to inform you of the position I have taken with Victim Support as Independent Victim Advocate. The Kickstart programme has been such a huge help to me, and I know that it has given me the experience needed for the opportunity within Victim Support. Without this experience, I don't feel as if I would have been successful, thank you!!"

Rachel: "I was let go from a supermarket on 31st December. I applied for so many jobs in those four awful months until I got this Kickstart job. I can't believe the support I have had through the Scheme, and I now feel a lot more confident. As the feeling of being a failure is starting to leave me, I get up with a purpose and want a good future, thank you."

Rebecca: "I felt awful all the time, with no reason to get up each day, the whole job hunting process is so depressing, but when the Council's gateway called me to say the job was mine, I was crying on my bed. I finally felt what accomplishment feels like. I am just so grateful, I now have hope for my future."

 

Way to Work

Way to Work is a new partnership between government and employers to get 500,000 jobseekers into work by the end of June 2022.

With a record number of vacancies to fill, there are lots of opportunities for people.

This includes the hundreds of thousands of people on Universal Credit actively looking for a fresh start in work, both nationally and across West Lancashire.

Which means there are many talented, work-ready people on who are eager to take on new roles.

‘Way to Work’ will help people move swiftly back into the world of work, helping to fill vacancies, as well as aid economic recovery.

To do this, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is:

  1. transforming the offer to people in our jobcentres, giving them more time with their work coaches and making sure they have the tools they need to be job ready.
  2. working with employers of all sizes to proactively match them with people who can rapidly move into jobs.
  3. responding to the needs of the sectors and areas of West Lancashire where vacancies are particularly high and need filling quickly.
  4. learning from the success of its Plan for Jobs programme and using its provisions to move people closer to the work force.

The benefits of having a job are clear – both financially and for general wellbeing. 'Way to Work’ will help people move swiftly back into the world of work and help employers fill the roles they and our economy need to.

'Way to Work’ is a step-change in the Government’s offer to both people looking for work and employers. The programme will support people to take advantage of the unprecedented number of job opportunities available right now and, in doing so, take their next step to building a more secure and prosperous future.

West Lancashire Borough Council has supported DWP by sharing the details of 45 new businesses that the Kickstart Team has successfully engaged with to support the new Ways to Work scheme. The Council is helping the DWP reach out to partners and employers so the scheme can take a more direct approach.

Find out more on the Government website Way to Work - JobHelp (campaign.gov.uk - opens in a new window)

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