LiveWest has joined a newly launched project in Cornwall to help people out of work secure a route back into employment.
The new programme, SILK – which stands for Strength, Independence, Life Skills, and Knowledge – looks at a variety of areas including housing, benefits, accessing childcare, support with money management, and exploring local opportunities.
The scheme has been launched by the Building Futures project in partnership with Cornwall Council and has received a funding boost from the European Social Fund.
LiveWest support worker Tania Purdie said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this initiative to the area. We would really like people to make the most of the program, and we hope they can take something useful away from it.
“It could be that they are starting to move towards looking for work and we can support them with being employment ready.
“We can provide that supportive one-to-one work to alleviate any barriers they may face.”
This programme is designed to enable people to get back into work and address barriers potentially hindering employment opportunities.
Purdie added: “We understand people may be hesitant to take up work, especially if they have children or don’t know if they have what the job requires. But this course is there to assist with that.
“There are quite a few opportunities out there at the moment that people may be interested in but are nervous about childcare or what it would mean for their family or how it would work out in terms of their benefits?”
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Alongside the one-on-one support available, will be the opportunity for people to join a 12-week rolling programme to give them the chance to develop their skills to give better access to education, employment, and training.
The support workers will facilitate six core sessions exploring a variety of themes and issues centred around personal development.
Support worker Suzanne Cooper said: “For us, it’s about looking at their future and what their future goals and aspirations are and making those a bit more achievable for them.
“So, we can work out a plan of what they need to do to be able to work towards that goal. “We can be that friendly face for them to link in with to help them with any processes like this.
“We are hoping to link into opportunities so that participants can gain skills and training required for the workplace. This could include training such as CSC cards which is required in the construction industry.”
To be eligible to apply, you must be 16 and over, have the right to work in the UK, and be unemployed.
Alongside this, there will be a jobs fair from 10am until 2pm on Thursday 3rd March at Shire House, Bodmin, PL31 2DQ.
LiveWest provides over 38,000 homes to over 80,000 people throughout the South West from Gloucestershire to the Isles of Scilly.
LiveWest has plans to build 7,000 homes in the area over the next five years, developing new homes of all tenures including low-cost rent and sale, market rent and sale, and a range of supported housing and intermediate housing products.
Read next: 11 ‘deprived communities’ set to receive funding for planning pilot
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