The ‘Work Inspiration Mentor’ programme has been designed to develop the employability skills of people who have been out of work, in order for them to have a greater chance of gaining employment in their chosen field. Jane Yeates, Head of Site for the Orange Contact Centre in Plymouth said: “We came up with the idea to inspire young people in the Plymouth area and help them on their journey into employment and we are delighted that City College Plymouth and Jobcentre Plus are on board. The exciting programme allows
participants to experience the different roles within our organisation and an opportunity for them to gain real insider knowledge around the day-to-day activities of a contact centre.” Jane continued: “The
eight week programme is much more in-depth than traditional work experience as participants will be able to hone their customer service and technical skills.” Participants will complete a Level One Award in Progression with the support of City College Plymouth’s dedicated centre for the adult unemployed, the Plymouth Advice Centre for Employment (PACE). Topics covering literacy, numeracy and customer service are being taught in order to provide participants with a real chance to improve their future job prospects.
Emp l
City College Plymouth - Employer Case Study
Enterpr
ability oy
rt ppo unit
y
O
ise
EE is the UK’s largest communications company providing mobile and fixed-broadband communications services to more than 27 million customers through the Orange, T-Mobile and EE brands. EE is working in partnership with City College Plymouth and Jobcentre Plus on a new initiative, which is designed to support unemployed individuals into work.
Classroom based study sessions are complimented by the practical, hands-on work experience programme being offered by EE. This allows those taking part to develop customer service skills, undertake administrative duties, work with ICT packages and gain experience of working within a team. Deborah Parry, Senior Employer Relationship Manager at Jobcentre Plus said: “The ‘Work Inspiration Mentor’ programme offers a great opportunity for the adult unemployed to gain valuable skills, training and work experience, all of which support our aim in getting people back into work. Jobcentre Plus is at the heart of delivering the government’s agenda to support people into work and remains focused on working with partners to ensure people have access to opportunities to develop new skills and gain experience. We are keen to roll out this initiative across other areas in the UK in order to maximise opportunities for those seeking employment.” Sharron Robbie, Head of Corporate Relations at the College said: “City College Plymouth
is dedicated to providing opportunities to the unemployed in the region as this supports and stimulates economic growth within the City and wider region. The College’s strategic intent around enterprise, employability and opportunity means that we are committed to impacting positively upon the lives and prosperity of local people - the ‘Work Inspiration Mentor’ programme is an excellent example of this.”
City College Plymouth, Kings Road, Plymouth, PL1 5QG T: 01752 305026 E: employers@cityplym.ac.uk W: www.cityplym.ac.uk/employers