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Groundwork Greater Nottingham
Tackling Youth & Long-term Unemployment
By Matt Hanrahan
Hi, my name is Matt Hanrahan I have been with
Groundwork Greater Nottingham for nearly 4 years
and I work as a Senior Account Manager on the
Experience Works Project
Groundwork Greater Nottingham has been running
employability programmes for the hardest to reach for
over 15 years. Some of the major programmes we have
been and are involved with are:
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Dig In stay Out (DISO) - through which we worked
with offenders 3 months prior to release and
after release to support them into sustainable
employment, help them to make a smoother
transition into civilian life and reduce reoffending
rates.
Step into Work - Nottm City Council’s funded
programme aimed at supporting long term
unemployed 18 – 29 year old Nottingham City
Residents.
Building Better Opportunities Towards Work -
which supports 16 - 65 year olds facing multiple
and complex barriers to employment.
Talent Match - more details below.
TALENT MATCH
Over the 5 years up to December last year, we lead the
delivery of a £6.2m
Big Lottery funded “Test and Learn” project called
Talent Match. Ours was 1 of 21 regional programmes
across the country aimed at finding the most effective
ways of supporting 18-24 year olds who had been long
term (12 months+) Not in Education Employment or
Training (NEET) into sustainable employment.
At the end of that project, we produced an evaluation
in conjunction with Sheffield Hallam and Nottingham
Universities, from which we drew some very informative
conclusions. The most interesting (in keeping with
the findings on our other programmes) being that:
far and away the most important factor in one of our
beneficiaries being able to secure and sustain a job was
the opportunity to conduct some work experience.
Exponentially more important than the factors
employers might normally consider such as 5 GCSEs
grade A-C, confidence, specific skills, suitable clothing
even good levels of physical and mental health.
EXPERIENCE WORKS
So as the legacy to Talent Match, Groundwork Greater
Nottingham have launched Experience Works,
which is an alternative and ethical (not for profit)
recruitment service specialising in entry level jobs
and apprenticeships.
Through Experience Works, we ask employers
to move away from conventional recruitment
processes and help them to set up and offer short
DWP authorised Work Trials (of generally 1 – 2
weeks) to assess an applicant’s suitability for a job
instead of using online or written applications
forms, sifting, formal interviews and assessment
centres etc.
FOR JOBSEEKERS
This approach makes their opportunities more
immediate and accessible for those that might struggle
with conventional recruitment and open them up to a
much more diverse pool.
Our service is aimed at supporting:
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Young People who are NEET (not in Education,
Employment or Training)
Carers
Care leavers
Parent returners
Health related benefit claimants
Long-term unemployed
Under-represented or disadvantaged groups
Emerging Communities
and those involved or at risk of becoming
involved in criminal activity
To find out more as an job seeker and start applying for
jobs, please visit www.experienceworks.org.uk