TAKING POSITIVE STEPS
Partnership - Lisa Kirkham , centre , from the charity Humankind , with Katy Boon and Tracey Bromley from Let ’ s Pretend .
How Step Forward Tees Valley is getting people into the workplace
Could your business help a local resident overcome barriers to work ? Since launching in 2016 , Step Forward Tees Valley has partnered with 270 local businesses and helped more than 4,000 people move closer to the working world .
The employability programme works in partnership with local businesses to help people overcome barriers to work and supports , on average , 66 people a month . Funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund , the programme works closely with local businesses to create meaningful volunteering and employment opportunities and match them with economically inactive programme participants .
People who are economically inactive are not actively involved in the labour market – they ’ re neither working , nor are they actively seeking employment . The latest IES ( Institute for Employment Studies ) briefing reports that overall , there are still around 1.15m fewer people in the labour force than on prepandemic trends . Nearly half a million more people are economically inactive , with recent rises being due to long-term ill health and caring responsibilities , and continued wide employment “ gaps ” exist for disabled people , ethnic minority groups and older people .
January to March 2022 estimates show a decrease in the unemployment rate , while the employment and inactivity rates increased , compared with the previous three-month period ( October to December 2021 ).
The briefing goes on to say that businesses and employers have an important role to play in helping these people become more active in the job market . It calls for employers to “ step up , through more inclusive recruitment , better job design ( particularly around shift notice , patterns and flexibility ), improved induction and in-work training , and workplace support with health , caring and wider needs .”
How Step Forward Tees Valley can help your business step up and help Step Forward Tees Valley , which has generated £ 32.6m in social value since its inception in 2016 , has a dedicated Employer Engagement Team that works with local businesses to create volunteering and employment opportunities . These opportunities form part of a wider programme of support to help participants overcome barriers such as mental health , disability , financial management , substance and alcohol use , risk of reoffending , homelessness and digital exclusion .
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