Weymouth
East Boro Housing Trust is celebrating the award of a grant of almost £10,000 from the National Lottery Awards for All Fund for the ‘Let’s Work’ project.
Research shows that two thirds of adults with learning disabilities want paid work but have been unable to get a job. Launching in April 2019, ‘Let’s Work’ will be supporting people with learning disabilities living in the Weymouth area into sustainable employment.
Let’s Work will be based at East Boro Housing Trust’s Waverley Community Hub, which includes training spaces and a training café.
Let’s Work is a personalised 26 week programme, for adults of all ages with learning disabilities, which is held one day each week and seeks to ensure that within three months the learner is job-ready. The project is structured, replicating the work environment, but flexible enough to meet each learner’s needs. In-work follow up will ensure that employment is sustained.
Development of a ’Let’s Work App’ will provide online support and answers to ‘what next’ questions.
Kevin Hodder, Chief Executive of East Boro said: “We plan to bring people together and build strong relationships across communities by working with learners and local employers. This will be facilitated by use of the Waverley Community Hub, which already reaches into vulnerable adult communities across Weymouth”.
Robbie Cormack, Manager at Work4You said: “’Let’s Work’ is innovative and ‘Awards for All’ funding gives us the opportunity to demonstrate to people who need extra support that employment is certainly an option for them and that we are here to help them achieve that. It will also help to ensure that learning from the project is advertised within the area and enable East Boro to develop new services in partnership with agencies including Dorset LEP and Jobcentre Plus. Let’s Work has the potential to enable more and more people to benefit, including people with learning disabilities, older people and those with Mental Health issues”.
He added, “Employers interested in supporting the project are very welcome to get in touch.”
