ao link
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles

Decorating That Works - works!

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard

Vicki Morgan-Curtis, Bron Afon’s communications and marketing officer, explains how a skills-based, job training scheme that does exactly what it says on the (paint) tin

Take seventeen, unemployed, local women who are really keen to improve their chances of finding work by getting themselves the experience and knowledge needed to succeed in the skills and jobs market and what have you got?  Perfect recruits for “Decorating That Works”. 

I’ll explain more about “Decorating That Works” in a bit but first, I’ll give you some background and insight into the whole, “That Works” concept, which is run by Bron Afon’s Investment and Inclusion Team.

We started our run of “That Works” with “Trade That Works” two years ago. Since then, we have followed with other skills-based schemes with the same aim in mind – to get local people into work.

Our Employability Team works with Job Centres and our own job clubs at Bron Afon and Ty Cyfle, a residential/training site we own and manage, to sign up people for the projects, which are typically run over eight weeks.  They are a mix of practical and theory sessions, which help to keep participants interested, focused and on track so that they get the best from their training.

People get involved in “That Works” for all kinds of reasons: they may lack confidence and self worth, feel lonely and isolated or just can’t see the wood for the trees when it comes to applying for jobs or finding work.

This was just the case with the women who took part in “Decorating That Works”. All of them were really motivated by the chance to fulfil their aspirations of finding employment, some hadn’t done well at school and  felt that they were “on the scrapheap”; others had been sat at home for years or were facing barriers like lack of childcare or not being able to drive.

Ria Gibbs and Rachel Knight from our Investment and Inclusion Team were determined to show these women that given the right opportunity and encouragement, they could really make something of their lives.

Ty Cyfle provided an ideal base for the duration of the eight weeks. The women got to practice the decorating skills they picked up by painting the inside of the building, which also gave them the confidence to paint their own homes.

This newly-found confidence was also enhanced by the sessions they took part in to improve their chances of finding work.  This is a standard feature of “That Works” – everyone who participates is given advice and guidance on writing or updating their  CV, interview techniques and applying for jobs and completing application forms. They are also supported for up to a year once they are in work to make sure that they go the distance.

A big bonus to the women was gaining three accredited qualifications, including First Aid, Health and Safety and a certificate awarded by ASDAN, an educational charity that promotes learning opportunities for people affected by poverty.

Since “Decorating That Works” ended, there’s some brilliant news.  Two of the women have jobs – one in retail and one in care; two are starting volunteer placements with local decorating firms and six are going onto Prince’s Trust projects.

The video shows some of the participants talking about what they achieved and how the project has helped to change each of their lives.