Why we’re right to put feeling good at the heart of employability day
Executive director for Seetec employability for Chris Harrison explains that as economic storm clouds intensify, it’s more important than ever to celebrate positivity in employability
This year has become the UK labour market’s annus horribilis. The claimant count for unemployment benefits is rising faster than at any point since they were introduced. There was a record 58 per cent fall in job vacancies over the past three months and there are now 8.5 people chasing every vacancy. That rises to 20-50 in poorer areas, including already marginalised coastal, inner city and ex-industrial communities. This wave of unemployment has hit those at the periphery of the labour market, in addition to those we already support through our delivery of mainstream employability programmes. Young people aged 18-24 looking for their first job, ex-offenders determined to turn away from crime and people with disabilities who continue to endure complex societal barriers to employment.
In this context, it might seem odd to put ‘feeling good’ at the heart of the way Seetec Pluss and Pluss CIC are marking employability day, which is what we have done with our tie-up with Chaos TV today involving people who use our service, our dedicated employability teams and senior officials from the Department of Work and Pensions.
But it is now more important than ever to stay focused on helping the people we support to stay positive. It’s only through nurturing people’s health and wellbeing that we can help people go on to achieve at work. That’s why the range of specialist services we provide, including the social prescribing services we deliver with hundreds of local community organisations at community hubs, where our wellbeing activities offer people the chance to connect with others, lead happier, healthier lives, is so critical at this time.
This is shown to work. By collaborating with employers, the NHS and family doctors, our retention services helped 84 per cent of people identified at highest risk of falling out of work to stay in their jobs and excel. This is true for care leavers, young people not in education, employment or training and people who have grown up in families facing domestic abuse, poverty, multi-generational unemployment, addiction and debt. Specialist employability teams are highly adept at delivering personalised services because many of those we work with face the most complex societal barriers imaginable. A pathway to work starts with positivity, resilience and helping people to value and unlock their own potential.
About Seetec
Seetec is a leading provider of training, skills and rehabilitation services to businesses and government in the UK and Ireland. It is the 9th largest employee-owned company in the UK and the largest employee owned business in the sectors within which it operates.
The business helps thousands of people every year to take ownership over their future by helping them into work, develop new skills or make more positive choices. Originally founded in 1984, the company has grown by focusing on creating sustainable and lasting change for the people it supports.
The company is Ofsted Grade 2, B-Corp certified and accredited with the gold award for the Investors in People and Health & Wellbeing standard. For more information, visit www.seetec.co.uk.
PR& Media Manager Nancy.rogers@seetec.co.uk call 07779 251 711
