City West launches Enterprise Team to benefit community

Published by 24publishing for IPB Communications in Housing and also in Communities

CITY West Housing Trust’s newly established Enterprise Team will bring together a range of projects and courses to help people learn new skills and tackle unemployment in West Salford.

The Enterprise Team will work in local communities across West Salford to provide people with the training they need to find jobs and build careers.

The team is set to roll out a range of initiatives including a Work Club Scheme, the Achieve training programme as well as support for Kids Without Connections and the Outward Bound Trust. The team will also continue to create jobs through the City West Skills Programme and the Schools Link Construction Project which is set to take place for the second time in September.

Viv Simon, Head of Enterprise for City West Housing Trust, said: “There are a lot of people who live in our communities who are currently without a job but have a real desire to get back into employment.

“We want to give them all the help they need to meet their goals and our newly launched Enterprise Team is set to enable that through the range of excellent courses and programmes it will offer.

“We’re committed to creating enterprising and sustainable communities in West Salford and this scheme will build on the 176 jobs we have already created in the area and help us create a brighter future for local people.”

The Enterprise Team has already launched its first project with the Work Club, which took place in July in Amblecote, Little Hulton.

The Work Club sees local people receive free training sessions each week on topics including, team working, IT, CV writing, interview techniques and money advice to prepare them for the world of work.

The sessions last for eight weeks with City West staff from different areas of the organisation offering skills and advice to customers in their specialist areas. A graduation ceremony will then be held for everyone who completes the course.

After completing the Work Club, participant Josh Fisher has gone on to secure a place on the City West Skills Programme to train as a painter and decorator.

Josh, aged 16, from Little Hulton, said: “I enjoyed the Work Club sessions and I’ve had a lot of fun learning new things and also things I had forgotten.

“It was great to get a place on the Skills Programme which has helped me get my qualifications and be ready for a full time job and career. I’ve learnt a lot and been given a great opportunity so I can’t wait to get started in a new job.”

The Work Club scheme is now due to be rolled out across City West’s communities in other areas of West Salford and new sessions are set to take place in mid-September. Full details will be posted on www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk in the coming weeks.

Anyone interested in attending a Work Club, please contact Tina Veal on 0161 605 7651 or email enterprise@citywest.org.uk with your name, address and telephone number to register your interest.