£12m to boost employability

Communities for Work Plus is aimed at helping people like Jordan who was already a participant on Communities for Work, the sister programme of Communities for Work Plus when a series of seizures left him in a coma for four weeks. Jordan was training for a career in the construction industry and while he has made a remarkable recovery due to his determination and his commitment to his rehabilitation, he has not recovered enough to cope with physical demands of working on a construction site.

The Communities for Work team, therefore, supported him through a Level 2 Business Administration course, which he completed just six weeks after leaving hospital. This, combined with his previous construction training and experience, was enough for him to secure a job as an administration assistant with ITS Construction in the company’s newly opened Swansea office.

The Minister launched the scheme, which will provide intensive mentoring and support to address the complex barriers to employment whilst visiting Seion Newydd in Morriston, where Swansea Council’s Communities for Work Plus team were holding a community drop in session.

Communities for Work Plus contributes to the Welsh Government’s Employability Plan which aims to eliminate the gap in working age unemployment and economic inactivity rates between Wales and the UK average within ten years; reduce the number of people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training; (NEET); increase the number of disabled people in work; and eliminate the qualification gap between Wales and the rest of the UK.

The Minister said:

“Sustainable employment is the best route out of poverty. The employability plan, which I launched earlier this year, recognises that some people experience barriers which prevent them entering work and advocates an individualised approach to helping those furthest from the jobs market into work.

“Communities for Work Plus is a perfect example of this approach, supporting people to undertake further training or providing practical help and advice to people to support people in achieving their aspirations. The programme will build on the success of other similar programmes which have already demonstrated that this approach works so I am delighted to be officially launching it today and look forward to seeing it help many more people to find work.”