Long term unemployed given help during credit crunch
A project set up by Warwickshire County Council aims to help anyone in the county out of work for a year or more, to secure work in the current climate.
Unemployment in Warwickshire is now at it’s highest since 1999, with almost 7,000 people now claiming Jobseekers Allowance in the County. Increasing numbers of workers are finding themselves redundant as many of the counties employers shed jobs as a way of cutting costs during the credit crunch.
With more people now looking for work and fewer job vacancies available then the plight of those who are long term unemployed to secure paid work becomes increasingly tough.
Warwickshire County Council recognises how hard this can be and is offering access to free training and job search support through the new Skills for Jobs project funded by the Learning and Skills Council and the European Social Fund.
Project Manager for Skills for Jobs, Helen Flanagan, said: “It’s tough at the best of times trying to secure work, but if you’ve been out of the labour market for a year or more then in the current climate you could be tempted to give up.
“We are here to say don’t despair, as with the right training and support we can help those out of work for a year or more compete on a even footing with everybody else.“
In order to take advantage of this free help and training applicants need to have been out of work for at least a year but don’t need to be claiming benefits. Many of the people supported by the project have taken time out to bring up families.
To find out more about Skills for Jobs, please contact the team on 024 76641664 (North of County) or 01926 487405 (South of County).