List of Employment Support Services Across Wales

Finding employment can be challenging. But with the right support, it can be made easier.
Below is a list of employment services for different areas of Wales. If you’re at home just twiddling your thumbs at the moment, why not have a look into them? This could be the perfect time.

Please note that this is not an extensive list. If you know of others please let me know!

1. Remploy

Work and Health Programme throughout Wales.
Criteria – To be eligible for the programme participants must live in Wales, not be in work and meet one of the following criteria:
• Disabled or have a health condition
• Not working and have been unemployed for two years or more
• A veteran, a reserve or a partner of a member of the Armed Forces
• Homeless
• Have a drug or alcohol addiction, an ex-offender, carer, ex-carer, care leaver or a refugee.

2. Intensive Personalised Employment Support Service

Criteria –
• 16 or over
• Unemployed and live in Wales
• Disabled, with complex barriers to work
• Able to work for 16 hours or more each week.
Support –
• Increasing confidence
• Identifying skills, abilities and job goals
• Job searching, interviews and CVs
• Access to volunteering, job taster sessions, work trials, local services and employers
• Advice on health, wellbeing, housing, money, debt and substance misuse
• Help with work-related qualifications
• Getting ready for self-employment
• Help with travel or childcare costs
• Ongoing support, once in work.

3. Careers Wales

Jobs Growth Wales
Criteria and support –
• Be aged between 16 and 24 years
• Live in Wales
• Not already be in full time employment (full time employment is 16 hours per week and over)
• Not completed the full 6 months of a previous Jobs Growth Wales vacancy
• Not have been referred to/or are taking part in the Work Programme or Work Choice Programme (Check with your Jobcentre Plus adviser if you are registered with them)
• Not be in full time education (fulltime education is 16 hours and over)
• Not be on a Welsh Government work-based learning programme

• Jobs Growth Wales is a six months opportunity in a paid job
• It pays at least the National Minimum Wage
• You will have a contract written by your employer
• You will get the chance to gain the work experience you may be lacking
• If you have a disability or face other barriers you can get additional help and mentoring while you are in the job
• Jobs Growth Wales is funded by the Welsh Government with the support of the European Social Fund

4. Merthyr Tydfil Institute of the Blind (MTIB)

Agored Cymru Training
MTIB is an accredited Agored Cymru centre and we focus on Employability skills courses such as Preparing for Work. Interview Skills, Food Safety Level 2, H&S in the Workplace, Identifying Barriers to Work, IT for Work Search, Confidence Building and Motivation.

Criteria – anyone living in Wales can attend these courses.

5. Elite SEA

Jobsense
Criteria and Support –
• Economically inactive, or long term unemployed
• Over 25 years old
• Living in one of the following geographical areas – Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire or South Powys.
• North Wales – Flintshire and Wrexham (covered by centre of sight and sound)
• Have sight loss
JobSense has been funded by the European Social Fund to help people, aged 25 or over, with a sensory loss to find employment. If you have a sensory loss and are currently out of work, JobSense could help you access employment, education or training.

6. Supported Employment Project

Criteria and support –
ELITE deliver Supported Employment services to the local authority areas of Rhondda Cynon Taff, Bridgend and Powys. If you are aged 18+ and have a disability, we can offer one-to-one support to help you obtain paid employment.
We can help with:
• Travel Training
• Volunteering
• Gaining Qualifications
• Work Experience and Workplace Visits
• Confidence Building
• Assisting with workplace adaptations and aids

7. ITEC

Employability Skills Project
Criteria and support – The programme is suitable for people over the age of 18 and who are receiving a benefit such as Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) or Universal Credit (UC).
The Employability Skills programme focusses on high quality work placements leading to jobs, assisted by employability workshops, upskilling in essential skills and dedicated support staff.
The 26 week programme will consist of 12 weeks in a training centre and a 14 week meaningful work placement with a local employer.

8. Leonard Cheshire

Changing Futures
Criteria and Support –
• 18 years old or over (18-24 years old unemployed or economically inactive and 25+ years economically inactive or unemployed for over 12 months)
• Live in the Swansea or Bridgend areas
• Legal right to live and work in the UK
• Have a work limiting health condition
• Want to be placed in training, volunteering or employment
The project provides one to one support to develop essential skills and confidence through a series of employment sessions, facilitating practical, real-world scenarios and paid work placements to improve employability.

9. Business Wales

Anyone who wants to set up their own business and recruit people.
This is across Wales.

10. Cartrefi Conwy

Criteria and Support –
Anyone who lives within the housing association homes.
Job skills – With all the changes in the welfare system, there is a real push for people to get back into work. Quite often, this can be a big step and a bigger challenge. We can support you to sharpen your basic skills and regain confidence, and we can point you in the right direction for specialised assistance. We work very closely with Creating Enterprise who have a great facility in Mochdre offering space for tenants to do training, job searches, and much more to help you get the skills and experience to get back into work.

11. Bridges Into Work 2

Criteria and support –
Bridges into Work 2’s employment support is available to residents who are economically inactive, long-term unemployed and aged over 25 who live in non-Communities First areas within Caerphilly, Torfaen, Bridgend, Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr.
Bridges into Work 2 provides opportunities for improving an individual’s employment prospects by providing support in the following areas:
• One to one support to help find work
• A dedicated Employment Support Worker who will help you at every stage of your journey
• Industry recognised training, accredited qualifications and local opportunities
• Supported job searching, CV writing, cover letter drafting and personal presentation skills in preparation for interviews
• Free vocational courses such as: Food Hygiene in Catering, POVA, First Aid (CPR), CSCS, COSHH and Dementia Awareness to name but a few
• Soft skill courses such as STEPS for confidence, interview skills to give you practice and Mindfulness to help you develop techniques to overcome your hurdles
• Additional support ranges from walking groups, exercise classes and coffee mornings
• Financial support with childcare
• Financial support with transport

12. Communities for Work

Criteria and support –
For all people of all ages and abilities who live within the 52 communities first areas.
• One to One mentoring
• Access to a wide range of training, work experience and volunteering opportunities.
• Training for specific qualifications such as CSCS, SIA, Food Hygiene, Hair Dressing.
• Employability skills, including updating CV’s, job applications and interview preparation.
• Confidence Building
• Help and advice with travel, childcare or caring responsibilities
• Guidance and support to access the internet for online job applications
• Help with finding suitable job opportunities.

Written By Megan Price