ASK SETH: New support launched for jobseekers
ASK SETH, which stands for Skills, Employment, Training and Help, is the UK’s first independent collection of online advice and support for a diverse range of people looking for work, and for professionals providing employability support to jobseekers.
The site, askseth.org, has been masterminded by ERSA, the Employment Related Services Association. It is the only free, single source, digital platform in the UK which doesn’t require sign up or membership from jobseekers.
Organisations delivering employability services to jobseekers, learners and employers can apply to be listed – details here
With easy access to key facts, information, resources and contact details, this fast, free site incorporates an Employment Support Directory of specialist organisations and employability providers offering fully-funded support for jobseekers. Employability Voices provides a multitude of top tips from businesses and charities on retraining and finding work, with employability, skills and training experts providing bite-sized video content across a diverse range of subjects. While Employability Resources fine tunes job searching questions and gives specific help for those with additional needs.
Covering England, Wales and Scotland, support can be accessed via the searcher’s postcode, so information is bespoke to their area. The website can be accessed anywhere with wifi, including public libraries, job centres, education settings and youth hubs.
Dovetailing with ERSA’s commitment to help jobseekers who may need additional support to find work, the content concentrates on specific jobseeker needs, such as those who may be finding work after redundancy, older jobseekers, homeless people, ex-offenders, those experiencing mental health issues, people with physical disabilities, migrant jobseekers, carers and first time jobseekers.
The conception of ASK SETH, created in partnership with Frog Systems, is part of the Covid response strategy, benefiting jobseekers as the UK continues to adhere to the Government’s roadmap to reopening.
Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “Making it easier for jobseekers to find local employment support is vital as we support people to find work in our re-opened jobs market. This website, with help and advice, will do just this and help people move into roles.
“This dovetails with our own Plan for Jobs and is exactly the sort of support our Work Coaches are providing across our network of Jobcentres – levelling up opportunity across the country as we support workers of all ages to retrain, build new skills, and get back into work.”
Elizabeth Taylor, CEO of ERSA says: “The unique selling point of ASK SETH is that it is the UK’s only ‘go-to’ destination to access all you’d need to know for finding employment. Its functions are simple to manage for those less used to accessing this kind of information, and the videos enable jobseekers to gather the information and advice they need to make a successful step into employment. It is especially targeted to those who have little or no experience of unemployment with easy links and clear guidance on what many employability organisations offer. We are immensely proud of the format, and see it as a game changer for unemployed people in these challenging times.”
For more information, visit askseth.org
ENDS
Image Captions: Elizabeth Taylor, CEO ERSA and example screen grabs from ASK SETH.
For alternative image formats, press information and interview opportunities, please contact Kendra Grahame-Clarke at Fivefold on Kendra@fivefold.ltd, call 07910 214474.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
ASK SETH: THE FACTS
ASK SETH is accessible 24/7 via askseth.org on the Frog System’s programme (Frogsystems.co.uk). The site includes multiple pages of national and regional jobseeker support and contact details, plus more than 150 videos from ERSA members and a database of 3,000 videos provided nationally.
ABOUT ERSA dev.ersa.org.uk
The Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) is the membership body for the employment support sector. Established in 2005, ERSA works with members to ensure the employment support sector delivers the best services for jobseekers and learners.
ERSA’s membership deliver or have an interest in the delivery, of the whole spectrum of employment related services. The scope of their collective reach includes employment support, training, skills provision, self-employment, offender related services, youth employment services, welfare reform and disability-related issues, as well as the design and delivery of employment programmes, however they are funded or commissioned.
ERSA membership spans the private, voluntary and public sectors and it is this diversity that gives ERSA the authority to speak. ERSA’s members range from corporates through to small specialist charities operating in their local communities and include housing associations and local authorities.
