Age Concern Trainings WorkWise

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Age Concern Trainings WorkWise

• South West
• Opportunities
• for
• Older
• People

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WorkWise

• Age Concern Training successfully launched
  WorkWise at the end of February 2006.
• To date, 31 older people have joined the
  programme (16 female, 17 male)
• Ages range from 50 - 69

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WorkWise will

• Actively recruit up to 30 beneficiaries in a
  specified area of the South West and to
  concentrate all efforts on those people until
  they are either
• In work
• In training
• Are confident in job search and have interviews
  lined up

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• Then start actively recruiting in another area
  with a large population, and so on
• In the meantime, there will be a steady trickle
  of beneficiaries coming through in the areas
  already covered.

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Outcomes so far

• 9 people have obtained jobs (4 part time)
• 13 people are receiving, or have received
  training in
• Information Technology
• Basic Literacy and Numeracy Skills
• LGV (Light Goods Vehicle) Licence
• BIIAB Level 2 National Certificate for Personal
  Licence Holders (Pub trade)

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Where beneficiaries live

• The following map shows that beneficiaries are
  widespread throughout Somerset, UK, at present.
• Main WorkWise centre is in Bridgwater
• Satellite centres in Yeovil and
  Weston-Super-Mare.

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Some of our beneficiaries
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Beneficiary Jan (aged 54)

• Jan moved to Bridgwater from Hampshire in
  February 2006 for a fresh start in life. After
  having got settled, she applied for numerous jobs
  without success. She read the article in the
  press about WorkWise and decided to give it a
  try.
• WorkWise staff have helped her with a CV and
  covering letters. She said they also helped to
  boost her confidence.
• Jan has now obtained a part time job in catering.

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Jil learning basic IT skills

• After 18 years at work, Jil was made redundant.
  She was unemployed for 6 months before
  discovering WorkWise.
• She feels it has given her an opportunity to
  improve her maths and IT skills, which will help
  her to get a job.
• Jil also feels that WorkWise has been
  instrumental in helping to increase her
  confidence and motivation. She is hoping to
  become employed in the very near future. 

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Linda, aged 60

• Just before she joined WorkWise, Linda had
  applied for a job through an agency, at British
  Energy Generation Ltd (Hinkley).
• Linda had acquired IT skills some years ago and
  was keen to update them quickly, (particularly in
  spreadsheets and database) before her interview.
  She spent 2 hours on each with WorkWise and
  achieved her aim.
• Linda attended the interview and was offered a
  years contract from 1 April 2006.
• However, the Agency arranged for Linda to work at
  another company for 4 weeks in credit control,
  before she started at Hinkley. She liked credit
  control so much that she decided to stay. She
  said its the job she has always wanted.

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Linda is reviewing Sage Line 50

• Linda has had several temporary positions due to
  the fact that she was unable to secure a full
  time permanent job after relocating from Essex.
• One of her main strengths is dealing with
  people.  She has a very friendly disposition and
  her various temporary positions have given her
  all round skills in IT .  Her last contract came
  to an end on the 21st April, and she is now
  applying for everything in administration. Linda
  joined WorkWise before her contract finished and
  she has had help with her CV, covering letter and
  interview skills. WorkWise also arranged for her
  to look at Sage.

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• Raymond, (aged 61)
• (no photograph
•   
• Raymond worked on a machine in a local factory
  for 38 years until it closed down in July 2005
  and he was made redundant. He lives on his own,
  and although his daughter visits regularly,
  Raymond is lonely and feels he would like to go
  back to work part time. He says that when he was
  working, he looked forward to the weekend, but
  now Monday is just like Saturday, every day is
  the same. 
• Raymond is very shy, lacks confidence, and has
  basic literacy needs. He would like to do some
  work experience in different jobs to see what he
  would be good at. WorkWise will arrange this,
  but Raymond wants to take one step at a time and
  improve his reading and writing first. He has
  been enrolled in the Learn Direct Centre and is
  doing really well.

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Keith, aged 59, achieves 2 qualifications

•  Two years ago, Keith lost his job as a
  self-employed publican licensee when the brewery
  sold his pub with vacant possession. He found it
  very difficult to find other work and came to
  WorkWise to see if it could help him. He needed a
  BIIAB Level 2 National Certificate for Personal
  Licence Holders before he could apply for jobs in
  the pub trade and he also felt he needed to
  improve his English skills. WorkWise funded both
  courses and Keith achieved.
• He is currently being CRB checked. .When he has
  been cleared, he can apply for his pub licence.

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Whats next?

• Expand into Weston-Super-Mare (venue found)
• Recruit 30 or more beneficiaries by advertising
  in the press, flyers, and speaking to referral
  agencies
• Slow recruitment until these 30 are either in
  employment or training.

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What has been learned so far

• Over 55s are keen to get a job before it is too
  late
• The majority of under 55s want training
• Age discrimination is not as bad as we first
  thought
• There are several companies in Somerset who
  employ 70 year olds
• There seems to be age discrimination in the
  younger industries, eg mobile phones and IT, in
  cosmetics and in fast food restaurants.
• But who wants to work in McDonalds?!!!