New Year boost for jobseekers in Stafford
Jobseekers in Stafford and surrounding areas are being offered extra help in their New Year efforts to find work, thanks to Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH).
The Job Club initiative has the support of Staffordshire County Council which is providing library space free of charge, giving jobseekers access to computers and IT support.
Operating in three locations across the town it allows convenient access to as many local people as possible.
Laura MacPhee, Customer Engagement Advisor at SARH said: “The three locations mean that people can easily access the facilities using local transport networks.
“It can be daunting looking for a job and we are here to support and encourage people of all ages and abilities to develop their confidence in applying for a job and helping them to find suitable vacancies. As well as assisting people to fill out application forms, we can help them manage other issues that may hinder them in finding work. ”
The ‘Job Club’ is open to anyone who wishes to drop in on Mondays at Stafford Library between 10am-12pm, Tuesdays at Holmcroft Library between 2pm-4pm and Thursdays at Rising Brook Library between 10am-12pm and is completely free of charge. Community volunteers are on hand to help people with job searches, CV writing and submitting job applications.
Job Club attendee, Lorraine Antrobus, commented: “I have been attending the Job Club for a while now, it has really helped me build my confidence and apply for positions I wouldn’t have considered before.
“As well as improving my reading, writing and IT skills, the ongoing support from SARH also gave me the opportunity to further my skills with a CIEH Level 2 qualification in First Aid.”
The Monday morning Job Club at Stafford Library is also run in partnership with Support Staffordshire and, as at Rising Brook and Holmcroft, anyone can attend by simply dropping in to a convenient session.
Pictured from left to right: Customer Engagement Advisor, Laura MacPhee; Patricia Andrews, Librarian at Holmcroft Library; Job Club attendees: Lorraine Antrobus; Jane Meyrick (community volunteer); Michael Addison; Adrian Emery and Hilary Swift.
