Lambeth campaign launches to help unemployed

L - R: Kate Gajewska, Ibtisam Adem, Cllr John Kazantzis (Cabinet Member for Employment Enterprise), Fernando Mba.

Times are tough in the job market at the moment, but for residents across Lambeth help is at hand. A new campaign launched at the Lambeth Country Show to help people in the borough find their way into work and training. The Lambeth Working campaign will help people who are out of work find the support they need to get a job or improve their skills.

The campaign has four main strands that will direct people to the support that they need:

• Work ability: Search for jobs, improve their CVs and prepare for interviews.
• Work out: Get training to improve their skills.
• Work shy? Rebuild confidence to get work.
• Work life: Balance a job with caring for a family.

The campaign, led by Lambeth Council with the Local Strategic Partnership, Lambeth First, and local organisations like the Waterloo Job Shop, Lambeth College, and Stockwell Community Resource Centre, will raise awareness of the services available across Lambeth to help residents into work and training.

Working closely with a number of local public, voluntary and businesses, the Lambeth Working campaign will help people into work in a number of ways including:

• Improving awareness of the information, advice and support available to people.
• Showing unemployed residents where to look for job opportunities (including voluntary work), education, or training.
• Helping job seekers get the skills needed to get the jobs available.
• Advising people about relevant advice, support, and benefits available.

The campaign will support people like 28 year old Ibtisam Adem (pictured above) from Stockwell. She found it very daunting when she was looking for work. She lacked experience and was unsure about where to go for help or advice.

Despite registering with employment agencies, she didn’t get work - the feedback she got from potential employers was that she was too shy and appeared to lack confidence.

She visited Lambeth Council’s Adult Guidance Service where she found out what support was available for her in Lambeth. She learned about the Gain project, where specialist advisers helped her to improve her CV and start to build her confidence.

She says: "The main barrier I faced was that I had no experience. I just didn't know where to start. I had no confidence - offices seemed scary places to me. Through volunteering at Stockwell Community Resource Centre and support from the Gain project, I've gradually built up my confidence and I now have a full time job at the centre."

Councillor John Kazantzis, Lambeth Council cabinet member for employment and enterprise (also pictured above) comments: "The Lambeth Working campaign will help people across Lambeth find their way into work.

"There are many organisations offering help and guidance in the borough, but people don't always know where to go to find the support that's right for them.

"Lambeth Working will point people in the right direction to find work, improve their skills and get support to overcome problems they might face."

For more information about the Lambeth Working campaign visit www.lambeth.gov.uk/working  or email lambethworking@lambeth.gov.uk  Alternatively you can phone 020 7926 3325.

del.icio.us Digg Newsvine Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon Twitter

Go back to News listings