Employability

For over 20 years, the Careers team at Education Development Trust has been supporting the development of employability skills for young people and adults, as well supporting individuals to move into the workplace. We deliver a range of employability support programmes across England, working in partnership with employers, funders, delivery partners and stakeholders to design and deliver campaigns that help people access the most relevant and bespoke support on their journey to meaningful work.

Our work supports a wide range of individuals seeking to return to employment, including those who are furthest from the labour market and those who have been unemployed for significant periods of time. Our dedicated teams help individuals to identify and address barriers which may be preventing them from entering employment, and to recognise and develop their existing skills. Where needed, we also help people develop new skills and build their experience, including by helping them to find suitable work placements, training or volunteering opportunities. Employability also forms a key component of the careers services that we provide in schools.

Our work is tailored to the needs of each individual, and is underpinned by high-quality information, advice and guidance, including our expert labour market intelligence. Through this, we enable people to take advantage of the opportunities available to them and help them change their lives for the better.

 

Making a Difference 

 

As part of our expanding portfolio of contracts within Careers, we are delivering the Making a Difference programme in the Coast to Capital, Leeds City Region, and North East Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) in England.

The Making a Difference programme is designed to support over 12,000 unemployed or economically inactive participants in the South East, North East and Leeds City Region of England, helping them to become either job-search ready or move into paid employment. Through Making a Difference, each participant will be supported by an employment coach, who will provide careers support, coaching and mentoring to help customers to make progress towards their learning and employment goals.

Our programme teams also work with local employers to provide access to a wide variety of employer-led activities, such as job tasters, conferences and jobs fairs, all to support each participant in getting closer to the job market.

Making a Difference is a three-year European Social Fund match funded programme, which launched on 1st October 2020. As we work with people in a whole host of different situations, we also have a flexible fund to offer financial support to select participants (for example, those with childcare needs).

To find out more, click here for our Making a Difference page.

Follow the Making a Difference programme on Twitter @ Employ_Support or on Facebook. You can also contact the Making a Difference team on 01329 559177 or via mades@educationdevelopmenttrust.com (for the South East), mades.ne@educationdevelopmenttrust.com (for the North East) and mades.lcr@educationdevelopmenttrust.com (for the Leeds City Region).

 

North East Ambition

 

Since December 2020, we have been delivering the North East Ambition Programme in the North East region of England.  

This three-year programme is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro businesses across the North East to link more effectively with local and national skills initiatives. The programme is a partnership between Education Development Trust and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, building upon the latter’s successful North East Ambition pilot. This is a European Social Fund match funded programme, which will run until December 2023, and is designed for businesses with fewer than 250 employees based in the North East (Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham).

Each SME that engages in the programme will be supported by a dedicated Skills Facilitator, who will undertake a needs analysis to determine the specific requirements of each business, and develop an action plan to best support them in addressing current and future skills gaps – and identifying and brokering the right solutions for their specific needs. Within the programme, businesses will receive impartial advice and guidance on available skills initiatives and government support, as well as help in connecting with other small businesses, where useful.

To find out more about the North East Ambition programme, or how its services could benefit your business, please call the team on 0191 9337 070 or email neambition@educationdevelopmenttrust.com.

 

Re-skilling Cornwall

 

In response to the impact of COVID-19 on the employment landscape, our Careers team are delivering the Re-skilling Cornwall employability programme. Funded by the European Social Fund, the programme aims to facilitate the transition of workers who were affected by COVID-19 and have lost their job, especially those who are over 50 or with a disability, and those who are looking to return to work after a period of unemployment. In the Cornwall area there are particular challenges faced by people who previously worked in the hospitality, arts, retail and tourism sectors.

The key focus of the programme is to support residents of Cornwall in the following ways:

1. Re-skill or up-skill in order to promptly pivot to new sectors (for example: care, customer services or self-employment)

2. Pro-actively prepare for the new post-COVID-19 job opportunities (local tourism, training on sanitary measures, hygiene, Health and Safety) through training, confidence building, and skills development. 

Using our existing local partnerships and networks, we will identify those individuals who fit the criteria of this project and offer them more specialised support.  This support will be via holistic assessments, ongoing 1-2-1 careers and coaching sessions, a wide range of workshops – including sector specific with employer participation, work experience (virtual or physical), and financial support where needed for qualifications, travel or childcare. It is our aim to support just over 100 participants during the 18-month period of the programme.

For further information on the Re-skilling Cornwall programme call 07918 550814 or email rscenquiries@educationdevelopmenttrust.com

West London Careers Hub 

We are working with the Mayor of London and the Careers Enterprise Company on the West London Careers Hub - a group of schools and colleges working together to provide outstanding careers education.

The West London Careers Hub partners with local businesses to improve outcomes for young people, education and employers. Through these partnerships, we aim to ensure that every young person gets the guidance, skills and experiences they need to make an informed decision about their future career path.

For more information on West London Careers Hub email info@wlcareershub.com

Reach Your Potential 

From January 2022, we have also been delivering the Reach Your Potential programme in the Leeds City LEP Region. 

The programme aims to reduce youth unemployment by providing tailored support for young people to move into employment, education, and training.

Funded by the European Social Fund, the programme is available 16 to 24 year olds and provides bespoke employability advice and guidance, as well as sourcing opportunities with employers, to help individuals progress into training or work.

To find out more about the Reach Your Potential programme, call 0113 322 5114 or email reach@educationdevelopmenttrust.com