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Major housing association helps dozens of tenants left jobless by pandemic back into work
A major housing association is helping dozens of its tenants who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic back into work.
Major housing association @RiversideUK is helping dozens of its tenants who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic back into work #UKhousingRiverside has so far helped nearly 70 tenants to receive training so they can gain employment in a new line of work through its Ladders of Aspiration initiative, run by its charitable arm the Riverside Foundation.
Beneficiaries are those who have lost their jobs or been on furlough during the pandemic.
Gail Jenson, national lead for employment and training services at Riverside, said: “Many of our tenants working in retail, administration, hospitality and tourism have lost their jobs because of the pandemic.”
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She added: “Like many people, tenants are widening their options and looking for work in a different sector.
“One area that has seen a surge in growth, creating thousands of jobs, is the home delivery and courier division to cope with demand as more and more people are shopping online while they self-isolate.
“As a result we have funded and signed tenants on to training courses to get the required qualifications to get them on the road and into work.”
Unemployment rates in the UK have risen during the pandemic. The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded an unemployment rate of 4.9% in the three months to October 2020 – 1.2 percentage points higher than the year before.
Seven tenants who have been furloughed during the lockdown have signed up to COVID-19 vaccination courses and testing roles in the NHS.
Sam Foster, a project officer at Riverside who signed residents on to the course, said: “This first aid training has widened their job opportunities, and we are delighted that four people have secured jobs and started work in testing roles.
“We are continuing to support the other three by helping them to apply for vaccination roles.”
The Ladders of Aspiration programme was established two years ago by the Riverside Foundation to help tenants and their families gain sustainable employment and has so far helped 200 people secure new jobs.
Riverside owns and manages around 58,000 homes across England, with a particular focus in the North West.
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