Free employability support available in South Derbyshire

Local charity Groundwork Five Counties is offering free support to people who are out of work in the South Derbyshire area.

People between the ages of 18 – 64 can gain new skills, make connections in the local community, and take steps to get into work, volunteering, training or education.

This service known as Beyond Barriers South Derbyshire is a partnership between Groundwork Five Counties and South Derbyshire District Council, who have provided the charity with a grant from UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF).

Claire, a Community Coach at Groundwork, spearheads this service in the area. She says: “It’s a completely free service for people to sign up to, thanks to the funding.

“What I do is completely based around the goals that the participant wants to achieve. I help people figure out what they would like to do, and that can take many forms – from learning new skills, to getting a new job or accessing training to get into a new career. Once we have explored those goals, we create a plan of action to get there, step by step.

"I also signpost people to other services like mental health support, education, and help them apply for benefits that they are eligible for.

“We always meet one-to-one, to ensure we can work together in a low-pressure environment and get to know each other well. Some of the people I’ve worked with have achieved their goals really quickly, and I’m very proud of them.”

Liam, a 25-year-old man from Swadlincote, is one of the programme’s participants who Claire has been supporting.

He says: "I've worked with Claire for the last six weeks and in that short time she's improved my confidence, helped me write a really good CV, prepare for interviews and apply for jobs. I'm really happy to say I've now got a new job and it's all thanks to her.

"She's been amazing and always there for me. I really recommend Beyond Barriers; they've helped me throughout the whole process and the result has been fantastic. I can’t wait to start my job!”

To find out more and sign up for this free service, visit: www.groundwork.org.uk/fivecounties/beyond-barriers

Groundwork Five Counties is a regional charity that helps people and communities by improving employability, offering education and pathways into green jobs, promoting sustainability, protecting and improving local green spaces, and more.

It was formerly known as Groundwork Greater Nottingham, and has expanded its reach to include Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Rutland.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and places, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus