Step Change
This is a four year regional employability programme which aims to improve the prospects of work for offenders (in the community and in custody) and runs from January 2011 - December 2014. The project is the result of a successful European Social Fund (ESF) bid.
It is funded by the European Union and NOMS and covers West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Humberside Probation Trusts and the 10 prisons in the region.
Twenty sub contractors from public, private and voluntary sectors will help deliver effective support into training, voluntary or paid work for offenders. The list of contractors is developing but already includes:
- Humberside Probation Trust
- SOVA
- NACRO
- The Prince's Trust
- Future Prospects
- St Giles' Trust
The contractors will build on the Skills for Work model and provide education, training and employment (ETE) support including:
- assessment
- employment groups
- one-to-one support
- employability skills
- CV updating
- motivations to work
- confidence building
- interview techniques
- sign posting resources including training, courses on IT, literacy, numeracy, vocational
The aim for the four years is to engage 2,200 offenders and support 400 people into work and 480 into further learning.
