up front: round-up
news in
News
A sporting chance
A new sporting
partnership has been
launched in the south-
west to help people
on incapacity benefit
become more active
and more employable
through using a gym.
The Inclusive Fitness
Initiative (IFI) and
employment trainer,
A4e Pathways to Work,
have teamed up to offer
subsidised gym use
for people receiving
incapacity benefit until
Brighton treads a new path
A4e’s Pathways to Work
initiative was formally
launched in Brighton
recently, as part of the
government’s flagship
Pathways to Work
programme.
The Lord Mayor of
Brighton, Councillor
Garry Peltzer Dunn,
4 blueprint SUMMER 2009
they find sustainable
employment. More
than 30 leisure facilities
have committed to
the programme across
Devon and Cornwall.
The scheme was
recently launched at
the Brickfields Leisure
Centre in Devonport
by the Lord and Lady
Mayoress of Plymouth.
Emma Harrison,
Chairman of A4e,
said: ‘I’m very proud
that Plymouth and the
joined Celia Barlow,
MP for Hove, A4e
staff and clients, and
representatives from
charities and Job Centre
Plus to officially launch
the scheme in the region.
They were keen to see
how it is already assisting
local individuals receiving
incapacity benefit get back
into the workplace.
Pathways to Work is a
free, independent service
that provides support
from highly-skilled
south-west of England
are leading the way
in developing our
partnership with the
IFI, and encouraging
disabled clients to
look at careers in the
leisure industry. It’s
also great that they
have recognised that
to stay fit and healthy,
physical activity is very
important.’
Sue Catton, National
Director of IFI, said
the potential knock-
personal advisers and
local partners to those
suffering from ill-health.
It provides work-focused
interventions, removes
existing barriers, and helps
to raise confidence and
self-esteem in order to get
them back into sustainable
employment.
Denise Leander, District
Manager for A4e in the
Surrey and Sussex region,
commented: ‘In other
parts of the UK, Pathways
is a successful resource.
on impact of physical
activity was much wider
than simply getting fitter.
‘Getting fit and staying
fit are fundamental to
a healthy workforce,
especially in an age
where the employees are
increasingly sedentary,’
she said.
The partnership
comes at a time when
the government is
investing heavily in
persuading people to
‘eat well, do more and
live longer’ through the
Department of Health’s
Change 4 Life Campaign.
With this in mind, it is
increasingly important that
vital support services such
as this are made widely
available to communities
such as Brighton during a
heavy recession.
‘Pathways to Work
continues to prove its
worth, having helped
over 100,000 people into
work nationwide, with
more than 200 of these
individuals coming from
the Surrey and Sussex
area. This goes to show
brief
Match makers
A4e France has held its
third speed meeting,
‘Les Matinales d’A4e’, in
Creteil, near Paris. Similar
to a speed dating event,
the initiative was part of
A4e France’s innovation
programme, and welcomed
more than 100 people.
The job seekers spent the
evening networking with
job providers, and as a
result, six people were
immediately offered jobs.
Food for
thought
A4e clients at Swindon’s
Employability Skills
programme laid on a
three-course meal for local
MP Anne Snelgrove, who
recently visited the Learning
and Skills provision at
the Shaftsbury Centre.
Snelgrove was keen to
find out how A4e Swindon
is focusing on people
developing their literacy
and numeracy skills to get
them back into work.
A4e clients got up early
and prepared the meal
as part of a business plan
called ‘A4e Curry in a
Hurry’. They catered for
more than 30 visitors,
including bosses from
JobCentre Plus and the
Swindon Chamber of
Commerce. The exercise
was part of a plan to
encourage clients to think
creatively and look at
ways in which they could
potentially set up their own
businesses.
that if the right support
and information is
offered, individuals
who are receiving
incapacity benefit can
find themselves better
off financially as a
result of getting back
into employment.’

Voicing opinions
A series of workshops
designed to give offenders
a voice have been held by
the charity, User Voice.
Commissioned by A4e
and supported by A4e’s
team at HMP Channings
Wood, the research was
conducted as part of the
pre-bidding process for
the Offender Learning
and Skills Service
(OLASS), which A4e
currently delivers across
England.
OLASS provides
prison education and
equipment, and prepares
offenders with knowledge
and skills such as reading
and writing. It also
focuses on employability,
making sure that those
leaving prison are as
employable as possible,
with skills such as
plumbing, welding and
car maintenance.
One participant said: ‘I
couldn’t read or write very
well when I got here. I
Success for job fairs
A number of job fairs
that were held in
A4e offices in Exeter,
Newton Abbot, Torbay
and Plymouth have
been hailed as a ‘great
success’ by south-west
business managers. A4e
New Deal, Pathways,
ESF Plymouth Works
Plus, A4e Skills and
LSC Employability
Skills divisions worked
cross-divisionally to help
support local people to
get back into work.
Bosses from Plymouth,
Exeter, Torbay and
Newton Abbot city and
went into education now
I have a level two, and
found out that I can do it.
I’m writing stories for the
prison magazine now!’
Caroline Altounyan,
Senior Business
Development Manager
for A4e, said that the
results of the research
were reassuring. ‘The
glitches in the prison
system mean that
offenders often don’t get
what they need, but we
can deliver what they’ve
said they want. In general,
offenders want to learn
more employability and
town councils formally
opened the business
fairs to match local firms
still in need of staff with
people looking for jobs.
Over 120 businesses
from across the west
country took part. The
event offered a range of
advice shops and one-to-
one sessions with help
on how to perform in
interviews. CV help was
also on offer.
Carol Boyd of A4e
Plymouth Works Plus
said: ‘Holding all the
business fairs on the
same day was such
vocational skills.’
User Voice, a user-led
charity that transports
the voice of those with
experience of criminal
justice into policy design
and delivery, was set up
by ex-offender, Mark
Johnson. A former adviser
to the National Probation
Service and a consultant
for policymakers on
crime, homelessness
and drug abuse issues,
Johnson also pioneered New horizons
The Prince’s Trust A4e’s Horizon
Working One to One programme, funded by
with Young Offenders the European Social
mentoring project. Fund, has made a real
difference to people’s
lives by helping them
get back on track after
redundancies.
Thanks to Horizon,
Fred Bamborough, 54,
from Gateshead, was
helped back onto his
feet after losing his job
in the construction
industry, having
worked for seven years
as a labourer.
‘I felt really down
and depressed,’ he
said. ‘I’d always loved
a success that A4e being the breadwinner,
colleagues from Wales and I thought my life
are now looking to do was over.’
the same thing in Wales.’ Things took a turn
Kevin Kelway, media for the better, however,
spokesman for A4e when he enrolled
South West, commented: on the Horizon
‘The idea of the business programme, and was
fairs was thought up by immediately allocated
our New Deal Managers, a support worker.
including Liz Muir. We Having discussed his
have written to HQ in options, Bamborough
Sheffield suggesting that decided to try for a
A4e holds a Job Day job in the security
globally to maximise industry, and the pair
our PR, marketing, and worked together to
A4e brand with an identify suitable jobs.
international Make A ‘I didn’t want to go
Difference Day.’
blueprint SUMMER 2009
up front: ROUND UP
on the dole,’ he said.
‘When I started at
A4e, I saw the light at
the end of the tunnel.
I could pop into the
office and use the
computer whenever I
liked. I told them what
kind of jobs I wanted
and they were never
off the phone. They
were brilliant – really
fantastic.’
A4e paid for him
to take a training
course and acquire
his Security Industry
Authority (SIA)
licence, which was
compulsory for the
type of work he
wanted to do. His
support worker also
helped him rewrite his
CV and sent it off to
prospective employers.
Bamborough now has
a job with Protector
Security Services,
monitoring schools
and colleges overnight.
He still receives
calls from his project
adviser, which he
really appreciates.
‘They’ve kept in touch,’
he added. ‘It’s not like
they forget about you.’
5
up front: round-up

UK bid to host world

youth congress
A4e’s Chairman, the World) recently
Emma Harrison, held a business event
is supporting a in the south-west
campaign to bring a where more than
world congress for 120 business leaders
young people to the came to hear David
UK and celebrate Oddie MBE, Director
creativity across the of ARROW, ask for
globe. The aim is to moral support for the
stage the congress, UK to host the event.
involving more ‘We are so pleased
than 20 countries, at the support of
in Plymouth in July the local business
2010. community,’ said
Plans are also Oddie. ‘It’s not about
being made to ask putting pressure on
Archbishop Desmond people to dig deep
Tutu and Prince into their pockets,
Charles to open the it’s about engaging
congress. interest for the
A4e, Marjon west country to

A positive response College and ARROW

(Art as a Resource for
Reconciliation Over
host the UK’s first
international congress
for the young.’
A4e has won a contract letters; application and videos;
to deliver a redundancy forms; telephone and l Links to local support
response service to interview techniques; programmes, projects
steel giant Corus, which using computers; and services;
announced that it would self-employment, and l ‘Ask a Question’
be cutting employer engagement. functionality, where
2,500 UK jobs earlier A4e is also developing a job seeker can ask
this year. a dedicated ‘e-service’ the knowledge base a
The contract will be website with multi- question with automatic
delivered in partnership channel support, called responses and/or
with Jobcentre Plus MyA4e Connect, which phone back adviser
through its Welfare to will be up and running support; and
Work services, and with in time for the start of l An email
Careers Wales through the contract. It’s a web- communication system
the Welsh Assembly
Government ReAct
based, comprehensive
self-help resource that
that sends targeted
information, advice and
A local flavour
Devon has become the site with A4e marketing
Programme, which will offer: guidance to job seekers
first county in the UK bosses to give the
will give redundant l A self-assessment tool registered with the
to have its own local website a truly local feel.
workers a training to enable personalised service.
A4e website. A4e has been in
grant designed to journey management; Access to the service
The site, www. Devon for nearly
replace outdated skills l An online copy of is via an individual
mya4edevon.co.uk, 11 years, and is at
with those sought by the user’s action plan password-protected
aims to bring together the heart of local
prospective employers. that can be reviewed, secure registration
all of A4e’s cross- communities. Steve
The service will updated and forwarded process. Corus
divisional offices in the Hart, District Manager
look at issues such as: to other support or employees who engage
county and promote for Devon and Cornwall
dealing with personal training agencies; with this service will
local news stories, Pathways, commented:
change; the labour l An online, reviewable be given training and
highlighting successes ‘The new website will
market; transferrable copy of the user’s CV; free access to all of
and up-and-coming underline the fantastic
skills; job leads l An online resource the services offered
events. organisations and
and job searches; base for registered job for a period of six
Fuel Communications people we work with
preparing a CV; seekers with easy-to-find months following their
has been designing the across the area.’
writing self-marketing information, fact sheets registration on the site.

6 blueprint SUMMER 2009


Thinking the
Local MPs support unthinkable
unemployed
Two Bristol MPs,
Stephen Williams and
Kerry McCarthy, recently
visited the A4e offices at
Orchard Street, Bristol,
to see for themselves
how A4e’s Employability
Skills provision is
helping local folk get
back to work.
A4e Bristol offers
free 15-week voluntary
courses to anyone in the
city claiming benefits,
enabling them to get
nationally-recognised
literacy and numeracy
qualifications. It also
runs entrepreneurial
sessions giving users
help and advice such
as CV writing, IT,
preparation for work,
interview techniques,
confidence building and
job search days.
Kevin Kelway, south-
Poland forges ahead
A4e Polska in Szczecin
and Stargard has been
awarded the Best EU
Founded Project in
Poland by the British
Polish Chamber of
Commerce at the recent
BPCC gala event in
Warsaw.
Roy Newey expressed
his delight, saying: ‘I’m
particularly pleased as
this is our first project
in Poland, and I hope
that the success of this
programme will be
west spokesman for A4e,
said: ‘The PR blitz by
local MPs is a real boon
for our clients and staff
alike. It’s also a real eye-
opener for MPs to see
for themselves how local
people in Bristol are
coping and retraining to
get back into work.
‘We were particularly
interested to show them
how our clients are really
positive. They’re looking
forward not backwards,
and learning new
skills to rejoin the
labour market.’
Rinku Khan, A4e
Senior Tutor in Bristol,
added: ‘In the current
job climate, it is very
important we give
our clients the best
support that we can to
increase people’s job
opportunities.’
continued during the
next projects.’
A4e centres in
Szczecin and Stargard
have been in operation
since November 2008,
and more than 300
customers have already
found support from
personal advisors and
recruiters. More than 60
customers have found
employment, and 75
per cent of customers
have gained vocational
qualifications.
up front: view from the chair
M
y promise to myself this year has
been to do new things – to put
myself in places I would not normally
be. And I don’t mind if once or
twice I make myself uncomfortable or even a little
embarrassed – everyone needs to push themselves,
and be prepared to shrug it off and carry on when
something doesn’t work out. That’s how we grow,
and that’s the way I want us to grow our business.
I want a business made up of leaders, and being
a leader is all about doing new things, meeting new
Emma Harrison people and taking up new challenges and strategies.
Chairman, A4e But listening to others is a big part of being a
leader, too. When A4e was a small company, it
was easy to absorb other people’s creativity to
take the business further. But now, with nearly
4,000 employees globally, I have a fear that the
imagination and creativity that created the company
will get absorbed by systems and processes.
Thinking green: Emma encourages
her team to brainstorm.
To this end, we recently held a ‘What Next?’
meeting, where people were asked to come up with
questions such as: What if we had to cut our carbon
footprint by half? What if the government did not
pay benefits? The idea was to get people to stop
doing their jobs for a couple of hours, and get them
to think the unthinkable.
You never know where it’s going to take you – and
What if we came up with plenty of ideas. We got to the good
stuff by being prepared to spend time thinking and
we had to cut being creative – even the wackiest idea leads to others.
It made me realise that the only thing that can
our carbon stop you from thinking up new ideas and putting
footprint them into action is yourself. With a bit of help and
inspiration from others, and the courage to think
in half? differently, we can all find new ways of doing things
EMMA HARRISON – whether that makes us uncomfortable or not.
blueprint SUMMER 2009 7