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PET-Xi to deliver the new Restart Scheme in Warwick and Kenilworth A leading national training provider will be working alongside a prominent further education college in Leamington to help people in the area out of unemployment and into meaningful work. PET-Xi has set up a new office at Royal Leamington Spa College – part of WCG – to deliver the government’s Restart Scheme on behalf of Jobs 22 for unemployed people in Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth. Sean Farnell, Partner, Burgis & Bullock
Free financial training for local firms A Warwickshire-based accountancy firm is strengthening its commitment to supporting the regional business community with 12 weeks of free financial training next year. Burgis & Bullock, which has offices in Leamington, Nuneaton, Rugby and Stratford-upon-Avon, is offering the programme to boost the regional economy after the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit on businesses. The sessions will aim to support the development of sustainable and profitable businesses, resulting in a positive impact on the local economy. It is designed for ambitious business owners and senior managers and will cover seven key growth drivers for business over the three months, with the first session taking place on Thursday, January 13 and the final session on Thursday, March 31. The Financial Management for Business Owners (FIMBO) programme is being delivered in association with Virtual Finance Director. Topics in January and February will include: how to grow your business, key performance indicators, quick-win cash strategies, improving cashflow, margin/ cost control, customer attrition and gap analysis/cross selling. For the final month, Burgis & Bullock will lead on sessions around transactions/ transaction value, customer acquisition, know your number, becoming exit ready and performance versus plan.
The office was officially opened by the High Sheriff of Warwickshire, Min Willoughby de Broke, with a ribbon cutting. The Restart Scheme provides tailored support to individuals who have been claiming Universal Credit for 12 to 18 months. This would include many people who had lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, with the first major lockdown happening in March 2020. Jobs 22 won the contract to run the Restart Scheme with local employability partners across the East Central region and subsequently enlisted PET-Xi for its work in Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth. PET-Xi will not only help unemployed people with things like upskilling, interview technique and CV writing – it can also assess whether they would be suitable to take adult learning courses at WCG. Simon Fitzgerald, Head of Funding at PET-Xi, felt it was a great example of two organisations with excellent local knowledge coming together to help hundreds of people in the area. He said: “We are delighted to be providing the Restart Scheme for Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth after WCG agreed for us to have an office on their Leamington campus.
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“Thanks to our local expertise and connections, we are best placed to deliver the Restart Scheme and get as many people into meaningful work as possible.” Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “We are pleased to be supporting PET-Xi in the delivery of its new Restart Scheme in the area.
Fleur Sexton, founder of PET-Xi, added: “This is a real opportunity to help those requiring support to get back into work after COVID-19 has impacted on their lives. “PET-Xi is excited about working with Jobs 22, based from its new WCG site location in delivering the Restart Scheme in Leamington Spa and ensuring each individual engaged has access to our highly skilled and committed team.”
"PET-Xi will not only help unemployed people with things like upskilling, interview technique and CV writing – it can also assess whether they would be suitable to take adult learning courses at WCG."
Christopher had been homeless and unemployed for over a year when he was referred onto the Restart Scheme. Without a permanent address employers were not giving him a second look. As a result of the hardship he had endured, Christopher was at rock bottom and feeling increasingly hopeless.
Sean Farnell, partner at Burgis & Bullock, said: “We are committed to supporting our local economy and in recent years have provided a range of free advice services for businesses to help them grow. This includes our work with the Peer Networks initiative and our business mastermind groups.
To find out more, visit www.burgisbullock.com/training
“We have been providing training for people in the area for many years now, so we have excellent connections with local employers and have extensive knowledge of the job market in the area.
“Royal Leamington Spa College has an existing comprehensive adult learning programme but through this scheme we will be able to expand that provision while reaching more people in a range of different communities.”
From homeless to employed thanks to the Restart Scheme
Businesses can attend single sessions or commit to all 12 weeks of training. The sessions will be delivered virtually via Zoom.
“We hope that by delivering these free sessions it will give business owners and senior managers the knowledge they need to thrive in 2022 and, as a result, help the regional economy to rebuild.”
“The timing of the Restart Scheme could not be better, as many people may have remained unemployed after losing their jobs at the start of the pandemic.
The vicious cycle of homelessness is one that is notoriously hard to break, and with the average Brit just two pay cheques away from homelessness, anyone can suddenly find themselves in this situation.
To get Christopher back on his feet, his Serco Job Coach, Vicky, quickly got to work helping him to find accommodation and access benefits. With an address and financial support, his chances of gaining employment had been massively improved as well as making him feel more positive. After getting to know Christopher’s skills and experience, Vicky found a factory operative job at a large food production company. Christopher couldn’t quite believe his luck when
was offered an interview, but he realised he had no smart shoes or any way of getting there. Not prepared to let this hold Christopher back, Vicky quickly sourced him some shoes and arranged to cover his travel costs. Being offered the job on the spot took Christopher by surprise and he was amazed at how quickly he had been supported to completely turn his life around. He said: “I’m so pleased with my new job and I’ve never been so happy. I was in the gutter and I’m now proof things can work out for anyone. Without the support of the Restart Scheme, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am. I’m so grateful for the help.” Find out more about the Restart Scheme and how it could benefit your business: www.serco-ese.com/restart-scheme
www.cw-chamber.co.uk
