Next Steps Employability Programme News: February 2024

Our Next Steps Employability Programme’s current funding has come to an end. The programme has been delivered since 2021, thanks to European Social funding that enabled us to commission employability expertise to devise the programme, finance the resources needed to deliver the programme, including an IT suite, and deliver a pilot.

Since this time we have worked with 102 unemployed Tameside residents aged over 50. 45% of these participants have secured employment as a result of attending our Next Steps Programme, with other participants taking up placements, further training and volunteering opportunities to gain skills and experience to bring to the job market.

Our Next Steps Programme participants have consistently rated the Programme 4.5 out of 5. Staff, together with a Next Steps Programme Participant, attended a House of Lords ‘All Party Parliamentary Group’ Meeting on ‘Aging and Older People’, to talk about the importance of specialist employability support for over 50’s.

Over the coming months we will be reviewing the work of our Next Steps Programme. We will be developing our delivery model with a view to securing new funding to expand the Programme, to be able to reach more people over 50 in need of dedicated employability support like Next Steps.