Friday 2 September 2011

How School Gates Knowsley Can Help

The School Gates Project was set up in 2010 to work in Schools and Children’s Centres with parents who were looking for employment, training or Self-Employment. Consisting of a Jobcentre Plus Adviser, supported by KMBC and two enterprise providers, the project worked with 5 schools & 6 Children’s Centres in Kirkby and worked with over 100 parents during this time, supporting over 40 into training and Personal Development, almost 20 into self-employment and over 20 into paid employment.



The project funding ended in March 2011, but due to the success of working with parents, the majority of whom had not worked for over 2 years, the project will continue in a similar form, but without funding, and open out the service to more schools and organisations in the area.


Accessing the School Gates service is completely voluntary, does not impact on any activity with Jobcentre Plus, and is available to any parent with a child aged 12 or under. Below are some of the concerns parents may have and how School Gates can support them with their issues.


Looking for Work

If a parent has been out of work for any length of time while bringing up their children they can be unsure about the job market - what jobs they have the skills to apply for, what training they may need. With changes in recruitment processes some parents can be put off applying for a job because of the application process, such as in depth application forms, or applying online for a job. The School Gates Adviser will talk to the parent about their job goals, providing suitable vacancies and giving advice on how they can apply, supporting with completion of application forms, and give advice on interview skills & techniques.


Looking for Training

Some parents feel that they would like to improve their skills via training before returning to work. Again they can be unsure about what training they would like to do, what training would give them the best chance of getting the job they want and where the training is available. Also often training comes at a cost, and a parent may have questions around how much the training will cost and if there is any financial support available for them. The School Gates Adviser will support the parent by helping them look for suitable training, and advise them of any support they can get to help them undertake & complete the course.


Looking for Voluntary Work

Some parents feel that they need to build up their work experience if they have never worked or have not worked for a number of years. They may consider volunteering to gain this experience, but have concerns over benefits being affected or how to apply for voluntary opportunities. The School Gates Adviser can work with the parent to show how volunteering can benefit them, and help them to find opportunities to apply for.


Considering Self-Employment

Some parents are now considering self-employment. They might have a good idea for a business, but are not sure how to produce a business plan, find out what funding is available to help set them up, or may have concerns over Tax or National Insurance payments. The School Gates Adviser will work with the parent to find them an experienced Business Start-Up Adviser, who can give them specialist support to help get their business off the ground.


Producing a CV and Covering Letter & Completing Application Forms

When people are applying for jobs they will often need an up to date CV and covering letter to send to the employer. A lot of people are not sure how to lay out the CV, what information needs to be included in it, what information shouldn’t be included in it or how to compose a suitable covering letter. Parents can also be daunted by having to complete application forms. The School Gates Adviser can give support with this to produce an effective CV for the parent, and help them with completing application forms.

Confidence Building & Personal Development

Some parents feel that they have lost their confidence whilst out of work, and they may not recognise skills that they have, which will transfer into skills that can be used for employment. The School Gates Adviser can support them to recognise these skills, and can help them get on Personal Development courses, which will improve their confidence, and help them look at what they want to achieve and how they can achieve it.


Jobcentre changes & how it can affect people

Over the past few years there have been a number of changes to Jobcentre Plus, including how people can claim benefits, what they are entitled to claim, and when their benefits will change. This can be daunting to parents, especially if they are looking to go into work or training. These changes also include new measures like the Get Britain Working agenda and new Work Programme. These changes can be confusing and often leave parents worried about how the changes will affect them. The School Gates Adviser can speak to the parent about these changes and how it may affect them personally.




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The School Gates Adviser can provide Confidential & Informal one-to-one or group session information, advice & guidance to parents, and answer any questions they may have around employment, training, self-employment, or benefits, in an environment they feel comfortable in.

If you would like to know more about the project or would like to speak to the School Gates Adviser please call Gary Bell on 07770 966 612 or on (0151) 443 6867




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