Job Box is playing key role helping people back into work
A one-stop shop employment service is playing a key role in helping people back into work across the borough.
Telford & Wrekin Council has invested £500,000 this year into its Job Box initiative to help people of all ages land new jobs, retrain or find employment after redundancy.
Since the service was re-launched in June 2020 it has engaged with more than 3,729 residents of which 74% of them were unemployed.
Job Box provides support with job vacancies, applications, interview skills, career advice, apprenticeships and training which is all having a huge impact on minimising unemployment.
The service also reaches out to the wider community and has continued to host a series of pop-up events throughout the pandemic where members of the Job Box team visit local people to give them advice and support face-to-face.
Of the residents which Job Box has engaged with since June 2020, 31% are aged 16-24.
One of the major boosts which Job Box has given young people is driving forward the Government’s Kickstart scheme, an initiative launched in 2020 which provides funding to create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment.
The council has committed to making 100 Kickstart placements available for young people – the largest number to be offered by any local employer.
To date, 41 council Kickstart placements have been established and 18 young people have completed their placement with 72% going on to paid work – 44% within the council and others into further training.
With the furlough scheme ending in September, the Job Box team are continuing to work with residents of all ages whose jobs have been affected by the pandemic or who have experienced redundancy.
Another successful Job Box initiative is Job Match – an initiative which works directly with businesses and connects them to other businesses who may be losing staff as well as helping them to find new recruits.
Telford & Wrekin Council is also in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver the Telford Youth Hub, based at Southwater One but also supported via outreach across the Borough.
As part of Job Box the Youth Hub provides intense support for young people helping them into the jobs market.
Young people aged 16-19 living in Telford and Wrekin can also receive help getting to and from the workplace by signing up for a Teen Travel Card which gives them discounted travel (up to £3 a week in bus savings) and is a joint venture between the council and Arriva West Midlands.
Young people can apply for the card by completing the form here and uploading a recent, passport style photograph.
Councillor David Wright, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Housing, Transport and Infrastructure, said: “Job Box is a service which continues to go from strength-to-strength, supporting residents of all ages in our borough.
“This initiative has been particularly crucial to many young people who have been unemployed for a significant period of time, or who have been made redundant during the pandemic.
“The council’s vision to protect, care and invest includes supporting our residents who are most in need and Job Box has certainly helped to put them back on track.”
Young people have secured a number of part-time and full-time jobs in the borough through Job Box across a range of sectors including childcare, hospitality and sport.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education and Lifelong Learning, said: “The investment in Job Box has given young people a real boost and enabled them to gain new skills and new employment.
“Our services cover all areas of employment and give young people the support they need as and when they need it, setting them on course for a bright future.”
You can find out more about Job Box here.
