Supporting people to return to education training or employment
Jobs and skills fairs
West Suffolk Council's Economic Development Team is working in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions to deliver jobs and skills fairs across West Suffolk. Our support for the event is part of our drive to support our residents learning new skills as well as finding employment.;
We have recently delivered jobs fairs in Newmarket and Haverhill.
If you are a business and would like to attend one of our jobs fairs, please get in touch. If you are a jobseeker, the events are walk-in and open to the general public. However, if you are claiming any benefits, please speak to your work coach and they will book you in.
Way to Work is a national push to help even more people benefit from the record number of vacancies available in the jobs market, including many in sectors vital to national recovery. There is lots of support for employers from the Department for Work and Pensions. Find out more at Way to Work.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - their offer to you
The DWP provide a huge number of services, all linked to protecting, supporting and creating jobs across the country. Their offer includes job fairs, schools advisors, disability employer advisors, the disability confident scheme and redundancy service. Find out more at DWP Offer.
Kickstart
Suffolk councils, working with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, formed Suffolk Gateway Partnership to deliver this national programme, designed to boost opportunities for young people in the workplace.
Developed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide six month employment placements for 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit, Kickstart assists them in gaining the skills and experience they need to succeed in the future. The scheme provides funding to cover the wages of each placement for 25 hours per week, as well as extra funding to help support the development of the young person.
In Suffolk, we have seen a fantastic response from employers and our young people, with over 700 placements being made available since the launch of the programme. Our successful Kickstarters have impresses our businesses, with some 75% of those employers retaining their Kickstarter and offering them a permanent role at the end of their six month placement.
The Kickstart scheme has now closed to applications, however there are a range of further employment and training schemes available in Suffolk to support both your existing workforce and new recruits, including apprenticeships, training programmes and staff development (for example workplace support for mental health). For more information please contact skills@suffolk.gov.uk
Work Well Suffolk is a three-year project (2020-2022) being managed by Suffolk County Council. Its aim is to help more than 2,000 people into employment by tackling barriers to work that they may face.
The One Step Closer team offer young people aged over 16 an opportunity to discuss how to help you reach your goals and give you skills and advice to make it happen. They can help with:
apprenticeships
traineeships - Pathways into apprenticeships
qualifications and courses - full time and part time options
job applications and interview skills
CVs, LinkedIn and maximising social media to apply for jobs
Haverhill Youth Skills - for people aged between 13-24
A service based in Haverhill, providing local support to 13-24-year-olds to encourage individuals to reach their full potential. The service is made up of different projects that meet both supportive needs and provide learning opportunities, as well as supporting individuals in taking their next steps. Work includes:
assisting young people in creating quality CVs; helping them to find and apply for suitable vacancies
advising young people and local employers with apprenticeships; providing a matching service to link them
coordinating training provisions to increase local opportunities
encouraging work experience and volunteering opportunities, helping young people to arrange this, and
supporting young people, who aren’t quite ready, with their wellbeing in award-winning support groups.
If you are looking for a new job or thinking about making a change, answer a few short questions to get personalised support, tips and advice. Take the first step towards your next opportunity with 'JobHelp' for you.
There are thousands of temporary jobs available, offering opportunities for those looking for work to gain experience and build skills. A temporary role can also help people get the experience they need when applying for future roles.
