Employability Road Show

Shetland Islands Council’s Youth and Employability Team organised a community roadshow to offer help and guidance to anyone looking for employment support.

The team are based in Lerwick and through the Employability Pathway, offer person-centred support to residents aged 15 up to retirement. Help is available for anyone looking for work, including assistance with job applications, CVs or improving interview skills. They offer access to free training courses and social groups as well as support for anyone already in work looking to progress.

Around two thirds of the people the service worked with were based in or near Lerwick, and with the service being online during the covid-19 pandemic, it was felt important to ensure it was reaching everyone who needs it so the service decided to go out to communities. This is in alignment with the Employability Shared Measurement Framework and the No One Left Behind approach. Other aims were to combat the stigma of accessing support, as well as the service fatigue of those that may have sought support and are not getting what they need. It was also useful for staff who had joined during the pandemic when everything was online, to meet people in the community.

The roadshow involved taking the service out to different areas in Shetland; 20 locations were visited. Each quarter of the year, a week was spent taking the service to different communities. Staff were on hand with hot drinks and biscuits, ready to help anyone who needed it. Childcare and transport were also available. The team offered an open door and a warm space, Wi-Fi where possible, a gateway to the Council and other services as well as a listening ear over a cup of tea.

The Youth and Employability team worked in partnership with the Council’s Community Learning and Development, Transport and Communications teams alongside Shetland Recreational Trust (SRT) and private local providers. SRT’s leisure centres were used for many of the events. Partnership working was important, as staff were able to suggest times when their venues were likely to have greater footfall, such as when swimming lessons were on. This meant that childcare was covered and parents could visit. The roadshow was slightly adapted each time, for example it reduced to more specific hours and childcare was added as the year went on.

The team spoke to twelve people, and three people registered onto the Employability Pathway. While this is a lower rate of people signing up than normally expected, the service has seen an increase in referrals alongside a greater use of the service through their drop in sessions. It typically takes 12-18 months to support a person into employment, so the impact to those who signed up is likely to be seen later. Some who visited the roadshows were helped in ways unrelated to employment, a positive consequence of the No Wrong Door approach. One person was signposted to a charity which helped them with an issue they had; and one individual is now attending the Living Well Hubs.  One individual was referred to Citizens Advice Bureau for financial support, and another to relationship counselling support. The team also put funds back into the local economy by using local vehicle hire and catering companies.

The team reflected that, attendance will vary at these events. Sometimes there are not enough people who require the support in an area, sometimes there will be perceived stigma, or people are not able to attend. However, the team feel that it is important to keep trying. One week, nobody came along, but the team feel that if they help one person then it is worthwhile. The budget had to be increased, and the importance of a good project plan was noted. The team have ideas about how to run it again, as well as plans to carry out further engagement with employers.

The roadshow supports all of Shetland Partnership’s Priorities. It contributes to: a successful partnership between public agencies and with communities, helping to deliver improved outcomes for people across the isles; enabling and empowering people to address the issues they face; people accessing employment in innovative ways; and to everyone being able to access the support they need to maximise their income potential.