The Salvation Army is hosting a drop-in event on Thursday 25th June where jobseekers from Southport and the surrounding areas can drop by and talk to employability experts and start transforming their lives through finding work.
The Employability Open Day is being held at The Salvation Army on Shakespeare Street from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Jobseekers will be able to get employment advice, training and volunteering information and look at live job vacancies while a number of exhibitors including Sefton CVS, Liverpool City Region Digital Inclusion Team, Home Energy Advice Team and Health Watch will also be in attendance offering support.
The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service supports people into quality work, not just any job. Employment Plus helps people who face the biggest barriers to employment such as a lack of up to-to date skills, those who have been unable to search for work due to caring responsibilities, health problems, disability, or homelessness.
Peter Maybury, Salvation Army Employment Plus Manager for the North West said: “The Salvation Army works with many people who are desperate to work but have the greatest barriers to finding and keeping work. People will often come to us because there is no other support available to them, and some need all kinds of other support before they are ready to apply for a job.
“Our Employment Plus service aims to transform people’s lives, offering specialist, person-centred support that has a meaningful and lasting impact on our clients, giving them the confidence and skills to get on in life.
“Our event on Thursday 25th June is an opportunity for job seekers, particularly those who have been out of the labour market for some time, in and around Southport to drop-in and find out how we can help them on a journey to meaningful employment.
“We also invite local business leaders, local agencies, and politicians to drop in and talk to us about the value of working alongside employability services like Employment Plus. By working in partnership together we can offer holistic support to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, helping those furthest from the workplace into meaningful employment, and having a positive impact on the local economy.”
Southport is one of several Salvation Army employability events happening across the UK this month, with many Employment Plus services concerned about fewer entry-level opportunities and longer job queues, meaning many people who struggle the most in the labour market who are not ‘job ready’ are being left behind. There is also concern that official unemployment figures don’t show the full picture, with many people not qualifying for help from Job Centre Plus and not knowing where to turn for help.
Salvation Army analysis of Annual Population Survey statistics found that the Liverpool Travel to Work Area, the local labour market covering Southport,* has a real unemployment rate** of 10.1%, compared with 9.3% across the North West. Around 54,000 people are in real unemployment.
Some 31,000 people in the Liverpool Travel to Work Area are claiming unemployment-related benefits.*** This is the main route through which government provides employment support to people who claim benefits, are out of work and are expected to look for work. This suggests around 22,000 people, or 41.3% of those in real unemployment, may not be receiving this support. This is why support outside the benefits system is so important.
In the past 12 months, Employment Plus has fully supported 5,279 people across the UK and Ireland on their employability journey. This cohort has completed 13,977 milestones – such as building a new CV, completing a training course or a work experience placement - with 1.137 of them gaining employment. A further 2,576 people were helped with a single intervention, which could include one training session, or signposting for appropriate support such as a foodbank, or housing and social services.
Our Employment Plus service is delivered from 327 Salvation Army churches, centres and hostels for people who are homeless. We are also working in 230 other locations such as at Job Centre plus or other local partners, and 13 prisons.
For more information about the Southport Employability Day event contact The Salvation Army on 07469 659 213 or email emma.smerdon@salvationarmy.org.uk.