Union Learn Reps 7 March 2012 Kathy Matthews Business Development Adviser Guideline Career Services

 Contracted to manage the Next Step service across the East Midlands.  Also a sub-contractor delivering Next Step service in Nottinghamshire  Regional co-ordination of redundancy outplacement support to employers in partnership with JobcentrePlus  Business development and employer engagement for workforce development

Next Step is a service that gives everyone access to the best information, advice and Resources to make more effective choices about skills, careers, work and life. The service is available online and through advisers on the telephone or face-to-face.

 Help to understand what qualifications or training the customer might need to get the right job.  Advice about funding to support the customer into learning and training.  Information about the job market in the local area.  Help to develop a winning CV and development of interview skills  Help to match skills and interest to a specific job or change of career.  Advice on ways to progress in current job.

 The website has been designed to help those customers who are able to 'self-serve', find careers information, resources and details of courses. Customers will also be able to carry out a 'skills health check’ which will help them look at their skills and jobs requiring those skills.  'My next step' is a customer's personal online space on the site. By registering customers will be able to:  create and store CVs online  keep an online record of qualifications  develop and save an action plan  check available funding for courses and training

Through , the telephone channel will provide free, impartial information and provision of general careers and course information including;  awareness raising of a customer’s entitlement to funded learning that leads to the achievement of specified qualifications  support in registering for Next Step to provide a personalised online space for customers  provision of more detailed careers information such as qualifications and skills required for job roles, funding advice, returning to work, childcare etc.  skills assessment and diagnosis of customer need with the aid of IT-based diagnostic tools  Appointment booking for advice sessions either via telephone or face-to- face  signposting to the web channel and /or other agencies/organisations as appropriate, such as Citizens Advice, debt advice agencies and legal advice

 All people in England age 19 and over (or 18 and over for Jobcentre plus customers) are entitled to:  One face to face advice session  Access to the Web channel  Advice sessions via the telephone channel (as many as required)

 If a customer also falls within one of the priority groups below they are able to have up to two more additional face to face advice sessions (no more than 3 face to face sessions in total).  Low skilled adults (i.e. without a full level 2 qualification, especially women) who are locked in low-skilled, low prospects jobs  Young adults aged 19 – 24 without a level 3 qualification  Adults facing redundancy, newly redundant or at a distance from the labour market  Jobcentre Plus customers in receipt of out of work benefits  People from ethnic minority communities  Adults aged 50 plus  Carers  Offenders in the community under the supervision of probation services and ex-offenders  People with learning difficulties or disabilities (including those with mental health conditions)

 National telephone number – between 8am and 10pm 7 days a week (telephone advice and to arrange a face to face appointment)  Web based support through  Face to face through prime contractors

The Adviser can: Help employees look at their current situation and development needs Discuss future ambitions and areas of interest Provide information and advice about work- based training Liaise with Union learning representatives and the managers to identify suitable learning opportunities.

We can offer a tailored package of support including: Workshops  Career planning  Jobsearch and applications  CV writing  Interview Techniques  One –to –one sessions on company premises We would be looking for a minimum of 4 clients to be working with on a visit.

 Fully funded literacy and numeracy for employees  First qualifications funded at Levels 2 and 3 for those aged  Co-funded re-training (50%)at level 2 for employees of small and medium sized companies (i.e. less than 250 employees). The other criteria is as follows:  Must be aged between  Must work 16 hours per week or more and work at least one day shift  Must earn at least £95.00 per week  Must have left full-time education and not taking part in any evening classes  Must NOT be a graduate or have attained a Level 4 qualification  Is an EU national or has lived in the UK for 3yrs

 Access to Work (AtW) is a scheme run by Jobcentre Plus. The scheme provides advice and practical support to disabled people to enable them to work along-side their colleagues despite their disabilities. For applications and advice contact the Access to Work contact centres found on direct.gov website.  It applies to any paid job, part-time or full-time, permanent or temporary. There is no minimum number of hours for eligibility for support under the scheme. Applies if disability is likely to last for 12 months or longer.  Unemployed or employed disabled people needing help with a communicator at a job interview can also get help through AtW.

Access to Work can help in a number of ways. For example, it can help pay for:  adaptations to premises and equipment  special aids and equipment  Support workers  travel to work where there is no practical public transport alternative, and travel within work  awareness training for colleagues.

 AtW pays a percentage of the total cost of approved support depending on how long you have been employed, what support is needed, whether or not there is any business benefit or whether you are self-employed.  Grants can be up to 100% depending on size of company, length of time with company, and if changing jobs.  Access to Work pays up to 100% of the approved costs of help with:  support workers  communicator support at an interview  travel to work (above the normal costs).

 AtW pays a percentage of the total cost of approved support depending on how long you have been employed, what support is needed, whether or not there is any business benefit or whether you are self-employed.  Grants can be up to 100% depending on size of company, length of time with company, and if changing jobs.  Access to Work pays up to 100% of the approved costs of help with:  support workers  communicator support at an interview  travel to work (above the normal costs).

 The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will fund a high quality online and helpline service for adults, which from April 2012 will be linked to similar services for young people, so there is a single point of access for all users of each service.  It will also continue to fund a network of public, private and voluntary sector organisations to provide face to face careers guidance to adults.  The single points of access to online and helpline services, and the network of organisations funded by BIS, will be known as the National Careers Service from April As well as providing free face to face guidance to priority groups, the network of organisations funded by BIS will be able to offer services on the open market to those individuals/organisations which are willing to pay.

Kathy Matthews Business Development Adviser Guideline Career Services Carlton Street Nottingham NG1 1NN