‘Our People’ were projects ensuring that our young people, the wider workforce and individuals were supported through the economic downturn and provided with access to good quality work and learning.
Please note that the content of the above video is included in this webpage.
Impact
The impact of the ‘Our People’ projects included:
- 24 people with disabilities becoming employed
- 70 businesses receiving marketing material
- 90 individuals with disabilities enrolling on courses
- The creation of three wellbeing hubs
- 19 schools participating in 66 activities
- 24 wellbeing courses running
- 15 volunteering opportunities
Open up to skills
A new initiative was launched to provide training opportunities for people working in Devon’s catering, hospitality, leisure, retail and tourism sectors.
The Open Up To Skills project supported X additional training places to improve workforce skills and benefited businesses as part of Devon County Council’s economic recovery response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The £450,000 project provided training which will either upskill employees within their existing workplace or deliver new skills to improve the opportunities available to those seeking alternative employment within other sectors.
A wide range of skills support was on offer covering everything from digital, financial and operational management skills to diversification into areas such as food hygiene, and other practical skills including customer service.
Training was delivered by Seetec OutSource.
Some of the projects:
Read the Open up to Skills original press release.
Community Works
Community Works is designed for adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities who want to improve and learn new skills so that they are better able to secure employment.
Learners work as a group (with the support of a tutor) to engage with a local town-centre business to understand their business offering. After researching, asking questions and taking photographs of the business, learners will then produce a professional marketing flyer to promote the business. The process of creating a flyer helps the learners to develop their English, math, IT and media skills, alongside using the design platform, Canva.
Once finished, the flyer is printed and distributed around the town centre to promote the business to the local population. Community Works provides a safe context in which learners can engage with local businesses, develop their skills and, ultimately, have the confidence to consider applying for local vacancies.
During the recovery project period:
- 24 people became employed (email with employment offer)
- 90 individuals with disabilities were enrolled on to courses
- 70 businesses were provided with advertising
Project video: Ability not Disability: Community Works – YouTube
Community Works courses: Courses – Learn Devon
Be Ready
The “Be Ready” Employer Hub supported Devon-based businesses, charities, social enterprises and public sector employers to understand and build on the benefits of employing (and keeping) people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
During the recovery period, the Be Ready Hub delivered training to 70 individuals from businesses across Devon.
Work Academies
This project linked into larger employers and training providers to provide enhanced support to applicants to move into employment, developing the skills of applicants to be effective staff at the outset and link to further training within employment. This continues to make a flexible offer supporting the Proud to Care and DCC Redundancy Programme.
Starting Out in
Courses that supported individuals furthest from the labour market to gain the basic and employability skills and qualifications required to gain employment in harder-to-fill sectors.
Wellbeing Hubs
Learn Devon worked with the academy trust to develop and deliver a range of community delivery/ pop up hubs where local premises were used to deliver a range of wellbeing courses. Three rural hubs were created.
This project:
- created three hubs supporting the most disadvantaged in Holsworthy, Okehampton and Tavistock
- ran 24 wellbeing courses
- achieved 13 qualifications
- provided 15 volunteering opportunities
Improving opportunities for Devon communities – News
Career Boost (Work Experience for all)
Devon County Council and CSW worked together to support free access to safe and quality work experience placements for Year 10 students across Devon who were in receipt of free school meals, had an EHCP or were a child in care.
Career Boost (HE for all)
Next Steps South West were provided with funding* to expand their higher education (HE) outreach programme into 19 additional schools in rural and coastal regions.
Students were encouraged to reach their full potential through overcoming barriers to progressing into HE.
*funding was provided by Devon County Council and the Heart of the South West Careers Hub
Thank you to all the project stakeholders involved in Devon Recovery Fund projects.