After 2.5 years, regional charity Groundwork Five Counties has ended its successful Beyond Barriers employability programme in South Derbyshire. In total, the scheme supported over 200 people to overcome challenges and get closer to work.
Funded by the South Derbyshire District Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF), the programme supported unemployed and economically inactive people aged 18 – 66. Its support was given by two Employment Coaches who helped participants set achievable goals and overcome challenges.
Michelle Baron, Delivery Manager at Groundwork Five Counties, says: “Many people have barriers that stop them from finding work or enrolling into education. This could be poor physical or mental health, low confidence, negative past experiences, a lack of digital skills which are vital nowadays, or other challenges.
“Each person is different, and our support was unique to their ambitions. We would meet participants regularly and help them to break down their goals into easily manageable steps and guide them through at their own pace.”
Beyond Barriers helped a total of 201 participants, with around 50 people finding work and several setting up their own businesses. Many more became volunteers in the area or enrolled in funded training courses such as maths, digital skills, customer service, English, and many others.
Michelle says: “We found a lot of participants were lacking a support network or had poor social skills that held them back. To encourage social interaction and to build confidence, we facilitated group workshops around topics like CV writing and interview preparation. This helped people to get used to working in groups, and develop their social and communication skills.
“It has been such a positive programme with fantastic outcomes for local people, and we are proud of everything that we have achieved.”
South Derbyshire District Council would like to thank Groundwork Five Counties for their work on the Beyond Barriers programme. They have helped numerous South Derbyshire residents to increase their confidence and employability skills when looking to find their way back into employment or training. The expertise shown by the work coaches in supporting individuals facing challenging circumstances to achieve their personal goals was instrumental in the successful outcomes of this programme.
Groundwork Five Counties is an East Midlands-based charity that helps communities by empowering households to save energy and money at home, offering pathways into green jobs, hosting outdoor events, protecting and improving local green spaces, and more.
For more information about its numerous services, visit the website: https://www.groundwork.org.uk/fivecounties
