Boost to Lambeth residents seeking employment after job loss

People affected by redundancies and job losses due to the coronavirus crisis are being offered a route back to work.

Lambeth council’s Adult Learning Service has been awarded a grant of £240,000, which it will spend on helping people boost their skills and seek new career options.

More than one in five Lambeth employees are currently furloughed and at risk of redundancy once government support reduces or is withdrawn.

Micro-businesses, employing less than 10 people – which make up 87 per cent of all Lambeth firms, are especially vulnerable with three quarters of them having already furloughed staff or made redundancies.

The borough’s new Response to Redundancy (R2R) programme is to help Lambeth residents and workers who have recently lost their jobs get new training in a range of areas, including maths, computers, language skills, childcare, health, social care and teaching support.

There is also a three-week training course with seven weeks follow-up support to help those made redundant find jobs in growth areas, develop their digital skills and brush up on their interview techniques.

This includes mentoring, support in overcoming any barriers to employment and inspirational employer led talks.

Councillor Jacqui Dyer, cabinet member for jobs, skills and community safety, said: “The economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are deep and severe, with huge impacts on many people’s job security, business opportunities and future careers.

“Lambeth is determined to target training and development so residents who experience disadvantages and face redundancy can get the opportunities they need to upskill, retrain and access work in fields where there are more jobs.

“I urge our residents to spread word of these support schemes in our communities to help those that really need our support at this incredibly difficult time.”

The council successfully applied to the Mayor of London’s Skills for Londoners Covid-19 Response Fund for the programme’s grant, and has secured Get Set UK and MI Skills to run the courses.

For more information visit:

Get Set UK: Telephone: 020 3735 8955; Email: info@getsetuk.co.uk

MI Skills: Telephone: 020 7501 6450; Email: training@micomputsolutions.co.uk

Lambeth council’s Adult Learning Service: Email: Adultlearning@lambeth.gov.uk

Pictured top: Lambeth council may be able to help you get back to work