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"Just the Job"

The School Gates Project operates within several local Primary Schools across the North Carr area of the City of Hull and is aimed at supporting parents who have an interest in finding employment, working from home, becoming self employed or starting their own business or social enterprise.  Latitude currently provides free, added value Enterprise Support Services to the joint Yorkshire Forward, Hull City Council, Job Centre Plus, School Gates Project. Working in partnership with Jayne Northey from Job Centre Plus, weekly surgeries are held within relaxed surroundings of Community facilities at each of the schools. At a recent Enterprise/Employment surgery held at Cleeve Primary School Steve Smith (Latitude General Manager/Enterprise Adviser) provided general enterprise advice and an overview of all other Latitude employment support services available to parents attending the surgery and during subsequent discussions with Tammy Yeaman she was advised to attend Latitude’s Enterprise and Employment Office at the Bespoke Centre to obtain further information and support on accessing local employment opportunities. Immediately following the School Gate session Tammy Yeaman attended Latitude’s offices and was assigned to Ian Lovelock (Latitude Training Officer) who discussed her options and potential opportunities, and showed an interest in Latitude’s paid work placement scheme. Following these discussions Ian arranged an appointment with Jayne Northey (School Gates Advisor) to provide an “In Work” benefit calculation to assist Tammy in identifying appropriate hours of employment. Ian then arranged a meeting with Leanne Coulman (Latitude Placement Officer), who in turn identified a suitable Local Work Guarantee vacancy, Leanne contacted the employer, a local organisation providing fun and interactive play zones for children, and an interview was arranged for the next day. Tammy then did the hardest bit of all i.e. presented herself at interview and impressed the employer to such an extent that she was contacted by the employer that day to offer her the job. 

Tammy now works 35 hours per week as a Kitchen Assistant for an organisation that is local to the Bransholme area.  Tammy said “The assistance Latitude & the School Gates project provided were excellent.  It has really helped me get back on track”

Rainbow Success for Emma

It was some 12 years ago that Joe Jenkins became a volunteer at North Hull’s new oasis of horticulture, Rainbow Gardens,  and left his mark by concreting in some garden benches. His daughter Emma, 27, has made her impact in a different way by becoming the first paid member of staff as a gardening assistant at the charity-run facility on Levishulme Close.

 

Emma, who lives off Endike Lane, had decided to volunteer at Rainbow Gardens after she lost her job as a support worker dealing with adults with special needs. She first visited the city centre Jobcentre and was then encouraged to visit Latitude Community Resources as the company was in the process of enrolling additional clients to work at Rainbow Gardens under the Local Work Guarantee Scheme, which gives trainees a 13-week placement payable at minimum wage, whilst gaining assistance with jobsearch and training.

 

Emma’s 13 weeks saw her take courses in first aid, food hygiene, manual handling, communication skills and team-building and, after being taken on for 14 hours a week, she  is now eagerly waiting for details of an NVQ Level 2 course in Horticulture at Bishop Burton College in East Yorkshire.  

 

Emma says: “I’ve surprised myself. This time last year, I was working with adults with learning disabilities and now I am a gardening assistant. I’d done a variety of jobs before, from factory work to being a hospital hygienist. It was demoralising being out of work and I am looking for another part-time job on top of this. It’s satisfying here as you can quickly see the results of the hard work.”

 

Rainbow Gardens co-ordinator Jeannie Webster, a retired community worker who set up the facility some 12 years ago, dreams of it being mini version of Hull’s Queen’s Gardens, a place serving the community right in the heart of the estate: “It’s important that everyone who comes here makes their mark, and we welcome lots of community groups to learn about growing vegetables and the beauty of flowers. The Local Work Guarantee placements has proved to be a boon to the Gardens and recruiting Emma provides the latest opportunity for development for us.”

It's Your Life Course

The School Gates Project operates within several local Primary Schools across the North Carr area of the City of Hull and is aimed at supporting parents who have an interest in finding employment, working from home, becoming self employed or starting their own business or social enterprise.  Latitude currently provides free, added value Enterprise Support Services to the joint Yorkshire Forward, Hull City Council, Job Centre Plus, School Gates Project.

Latitude recently ran the "It's Your Life" course at Bude Park Primary for local Parents looking to get either back into Employment or assisting with Business start up support.

The course was a huge success providing the group with the confidence and support to progress with their goals.

The next course is due to take place at Cleeve Primary in January 2011, if you would like more details please call Mark Cooke on 01482 601888.