JOBS AND SKILLS
Pointing out
your
potential
Residents in low income jobs are boosting their earning potential with
Skills Escalator: A council scheme that offers them the chance to ‘up-skill’
and move on in their career. Jack Butler reports.
T
he scheme helps those who
receive housing benefit to
find their vocation. It can
increase their chances of
earning more money by providing
them with access to career advice and
the possibility of further training.
Kayliegh Creamer is a Skills Escalator
advisor. She said: “What we do is lay out
an action plan for them on how to get to
where they want to be in the future. That
could need multiple training courses,
or it could be that they need one small
training course to help them move on to
the job that they want to move on to.”
‘I CAN SEE A LIGHT AT
THE END OF THE
TUNNEL’
Hayley Hamilton
from Northolt
sought the help
of Skills Escalator
and is now training
to be a teaching
assistant. She said: “The job I do at
the moment is perfect because it fits
in with my daughter being at primary
school, but it is not a career that I want
to be doing long term.
“Skills Escalator has helped me
immensely. I couldn’t have seen a way
out otherwise and I probably would
have been plodding along until I don’t
know, maybe I got a lucky break for
another job. Without this I probably
wouldn’t have had any sort of future,
work-wise, to look forward to, but I can
see a light at the end of the tunnel with
this now and look forward to doing
something I actually want to do.”
Councillor Jasbir Anand,
the council’s cabinet
member for business
and community
services, said:
“Training and up-
skilling is vital to
ensure a thriving
local economy. So,
I am delighted the council offers such a
helpful service for those who are in work
but might need support in identifying
career aspirations. If you know what you
want your next step to be, or want help
finding out, I encourage you to contact
the Skills Escalator team.”
GET ON THE SKILLS
ESCALATOR
Residents must be over 18,
living in rented accommodation
in the borough, be working
at least one hour a week, and
be receiving housing benefit.
To book an appointment and
meet with an advisor email
[email protected]
or call 020 8825 7855 or
07957 658194.
Video and full story at
ealingnewsextra.co.uk/
features/potential
Hayley is training to be a teaching assistant
around ealing Summer 2019
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