Romsey Job Club

1. Romsey Job Club The first two years

2. Test Valley Partnership • Local Strategic Partnership • Aims The overall aim of the Test Valley Partnership is to improve the quality of life for people living and working in the Borough through: • Listening to the needs, aspirations and views of local people. • Co-ordinating those needs, aspirations and views into a Community Strategy setting out a shared vision for the future. • Encouraging and facilitating closer working between local organisations and agencies to better deliver the aims and objectives set out in the Community Plan than could be achieved by organisations working on their own. • Overseeing the delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the Community Plan. • Reporting publicly on progress in delivering the objectives of the Community Plan. • Undertaking an ambassadorial role for the Borough

3. Responding to the recession – conference April 2009 • The aim of the conference had been to bring agencies together to identify where joint working can occur in providing co-ordinated services to people who have lost their job. Seventy people from across thirty organisations attended the conference and have helped shaped an action plan which the TVP Education Action Group will be leading on. Actions arising from the conference are: • Job Clubs – providing informal settings for people who have lost their job to search for new jobs and to access advice. Three clubs in Test Valley will open in 2009 at Andover College, the Askalot Shop and in Romsey.

4. The number of people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance in TV jumped from 562 in August 2007 to 1,412 two years later – an increase of 250%. In Andover it went from 257 to 671 (260%) and in the 3 wards of Romsey from 91 to 176 (190%). Context

7. Launch Romsey Job Club opened for business on Wednesday 9 September 2009 at the newly refurbished Company House, Romsey Community School.

8. What is a Job Club? • Self-help group • Drop-in centre • GB Job Clubs • National Work Clubs Network • DWP Work Clubs • What is Romsey JC? • Whatever its clients want

9. Our web site

10. Our clients • Numbers • Age profile • Skills

11. How many? • Total visits - 300+ • Individuals - 98

12. Sample occupations • Accountant • Admin • Retail • Project management • Buyer • Child care • Cleaner • Driver • Fork lift operator • Teacher • Fabricator/welder • Computer programmer • Jeweller • Gardener • Labourer • Plant operator • Carer • Security • Student • Health Service manager • Videographer • Waitress • Warehouse

13. Age range

14. How they find us

15. Where they come from

16. What they ask for • Help with CVs • Computer skills • Help with job searching • Help applying for jobs • Encouragement and motivation • Company

17. Links with other organisations • Eastleigh JCP • Romsey CAB • Test Valley Community Services • Romsey Chamber of Commerce

18. Other job clubs in area • Andover Askalot shop • North West Hampshire Job Club, Andover • Community Life Centre, N Baddesley

19. The future • More formal approach • NCFE courses

20. NCFE course • Programme – Work Preparation (Entry Level) • 10glh • Designed for learners who are seeking to gain employment. The programme includes; understanding work; a review of personal skills and qualities; making an application and the interview. The course is available at entry level and has two optional units. • One optional unit is required for a full certificate. • Optional units • Seeking Work • Moving into Work

21. Web links • Romsey Job Club – romseyjobclub.wikispaces.com • Nomis (official labour market statistics) - www.nomisweb.co.uk • NCFE course- http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hampshire-learning/hl-providers/ncfe-accreditation/acp.htm#section160049-1