Carole Brain Gloucester Works improves job opportunities for local resident Carole's brain is ready to head back to work A Gloucester mum is taking the first steps back to employment with support from the new City Employment and Skills Plan – called Gloucester Works, which was launched recently. Gloucester Works is a unique initiative managed by Gloucestershire First in collaboration with other City partners, designed to meet the jobs and skills needs of workers and local employers. Carole Brain (47) a mother of two from White City is a lone parent hoping to return to work after receiving training and skills to get her ready for employment. Out of work since the birth of her second child 12 years ago, Carole undertook basic IT training and now volunteers as a mentor on the course at the Barton and Tredworth Community Trust. As one of the eight Learning Champions in the Tredworth area, she understands the importance of training and development in preparation for a new job and is experiencing first hand the benefits now being offered to residents in Gloucester who are looking for work. Carole received support from one of a team of Community Area Coordinators working for Gloucester Works, who talked to her about the support and training she could receive through the programme. She attended an appointment to assess her skills and work options and agreed a path through a tailored programme of training to give her the skills she needs to help her in the local job market. With ongoing support through her allocated Community Area Coordinator and funding from Gloucester Works, Carole has received confidence and motivational training combined with CV writing skills and assistance with further IT skills needed to search for jobs on-line. Carole says "The training has been very useful. I have been on benefits but wanted to get back into work, which can be very daunting when you are out of work for a long time. "The confidence and motivational training which was very interesting and fun but learning how to write a CV and use web sites to find jobs in Gloucester, which is something I couldn't do before, has also been very useful. "I would like to use my training to get a position in the City Centre or at one of the new city developments; I have just completed a National Vocational Qualification level 2 in business administration and would like to use this in the future." Jason Dunsford, Community Area Coordinator at Gloucester Works says; "Carole's story is one of a number of real situations where local people have re-entered the job market after receiving specific training and development through the Gloucester Works programme. "The Gloucester Works Team is working hard to make sure that local people have the best chance of benefiting from the anticipated growth in the job market which has been stimulated by Gloucester's ongoing regeneration."

For more information on how Gloucester Works can help you please contact the team on 0800 002 9838 or e-mail info@gloucesterworks.co.uk

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