NEWS
Case study : A successful partnership has helped Robyn
Thirteen ’ s free employability service supports individuals who live in Thirteen homes and wider communities too , offering face-to-face and virtual support on a one-to-one and group basis .
The service has Matrix Standard accreditation , the Department for Education ’ s ( DfE ) standard for high-quality information , advice and guidance provision .
Since it launched in May 2016 to February 2021 , the service has supported 5,192 local people . > 2,302 have started in employment , education or training > 1,617 found employment or an apprenticeship > 682 accessed full-time education or vocational training
> 3,144 also received some form of supported intervention to break down barriers to work , improving
Helping - Thirteen ’ s Susan Borrow .
their chances of landing their ideal role . Everyone who accesses the service gets personalised support and weekly appointments from an allocated employability caseworker , each of whom has a Level 3 qualification in Information , Advice and Guidance .
Susan said : “ This team is really committed to getting the best outcomes for our customers . Team members work with their customers to create personalised actions plans based on a diagnostic assessment tool with short , medium and long-term goals and the key tasks that go with them .
“ The support doesn ’ t stop there though . When they move into work , all our customers get in-work support for six months to support make sure they ’ re happy and can sustain the role .”
Thirteen is a housing association that ’ s the proud owner of around 34,000 homes , with 30,000 of them in the Tees Valley . As well as homes for rent , Thirteen offers them for sale , shared ownership – and builds properties too , as well as providing a range of support services to help people live independently .
One local business Thirteen is working with is Elizabeth ’ s Embroidery , based in Stockton . Established in 1990 , the family-run business supplies more than 150 schools and many local businesses with branded clothing .
The Employer Engagement Team held a virtual meeting with the company and matched Robyn , a 17-year-old college student looking for part-time work , into a role there as a retail assistant . With the team ’ s support , Robyn successfully secured the job after her first-ever interview .
Lisa Halligan , partner at Elizabeth ’ s Embroidery , says : “ The team at Thirteen managed to successfully source a candidate who was a superb fit for our business and we ’ re really pleased .
“ We ’ ve had to change our business model since the first lockdown and have been using Zoom for parents to speak to us to make sure they order the right sizes of uniform for their children . While our high street store is closed at the moment , our manufacturing unit has stayed open , so we ’ ve still been able to trade and support parents and other businesses .
“ When the prime minister made the announcement about schools returning on March 8 , we had more orders overnight than we ’ d had in the previous three months . Robyn has excelled in her role and already made a huge impact , helping with the huge team effort to fulfil those orders .”
Thirteen ’ s Susan Borrow added : “ We ’ re proud of the relationships we ’ ve built up with local employers and customers through our employability service . The two really do go hand-in-hand and I look forward to us continuing to support local business and local people across our region for many years to come .”
To find out how the team could help your business , email Thirteen employability team leader Karen Taylor at karen . taylor @ thirteengroup . co . uk or call Thirteen on 01642 947840 .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 63