A group of residents from Stanley have taken part in free employability skills sessions from leading energy, regeneration and construction specialist Equans as part of the organisation’s commitment to supporting communities across the North East & Cumbria.
The nine residents, who all live in properties managed by housing association Karbon Homes, were invited to join the five-week programme ran by Equans’ Social Value team where they were given employability tips and advice.
This ranged from how to write a good CV and cover letter, how to tailor applications to specific jobs, to being given mock interview practice and support for dealing with those always-pressurised situations.
All the attendees were also given support with job searches and were pointed in the direction of vacancies at both Equans and Karbon which would suit their existing skillsets in the hope that some of them will gain employment in the near future.
They all came away with a new knowledge at their disposal and a better approach to tackling job searches and selling themselves to prospective employers.
Kieran Quane, one of the attendees at the session, said: “It’s been good, quite helpful actually. I picked up a few techniques I can use in interviews and the application process. I’ve not had much experience in interviews – I’ve only had a few jobs in my life – and the tips I picked up I was able to apply in the mock interviews and I know it’ll help me in the future.”
The sessions at Karbon’s Skills Hub in Stanley, are just one of many sessions the Social Value team host across the region as part of Equans’ IGNITE initiative – an employability programme which aims to raise aspirations, self-motivation and resilience in attendees, whilst providing them with the skills and knowledge to support their career aspirations.
Ryan Wilson, Social Value Officer at Equans, who led the sessions in Stanley, said: “It’s been a delight to work with the group over the last five weeks. You can really see a change in them as they get more confident and believe in their own ability, they’ve all got great skills that would be a real boost to any employer, it’s just getting them to have that belief that they would an asset to a company.”
Suzanne Jobson, Foundations for Life Manager at Karbon Homes, said: “It’s been fantastic to have the team from Equans join us at the skills hub. Their programme has been a fantastic addition to the host of services we offer and the Karbon customers who took part have really benefitted from the support.”
“The aim of the skills hub in Stanley is to help people to break down some of the barriers they face and help them improve their skills and confidence to make a success of their journey into, or back, to work. We’re proud to work with contractors that share our passion for helping customers reach their potential.”
