Parents who are looking for work can now get help from the Work for Families project and Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB).
GLLab advisers offer parents advice on:
- jobs
- training
- volunteering opportunities.
You can meet up with advisors during Wednesday afternoon sessions at the Sherington Primary School Children's Centre.
Recently the project has been targeting lone parents, offering access to:
- childcare
- advice on benefits and tax credits
including ‘Better off in Work’ calculations - paid work experience, and in some cases, the cost of expenses.
Case study: Local woman turns hobby into a career
The scheme has helped local DIY enthusiast, Jennifer Pinto, to turn her hobby into a career.
The 38-year-old mum-of-three was always painting and decorating for family and friends. Now she's a tiler and looking to start her own business after 15 years out of work.
With the help of a GLLab adviser, Jennifer signed up for an intensive two-week course with Dartford firm Able Skills and was able to get financial support for the costs of the course.
She said: "After I was qualified I wanted to start work but I didn't have any equipment so I went back to GLLaB and I was so chuffed when they said they could get me some tools.
"They got everything for me down to some steel cap boots and my overalls."
Jennifer is now being given advice on setting up her own business.
"I wanted to do tiling because it's a skill you can take anywhere in the world and GLLaB have been absolutely fantastic in helping me achieve my aim. The advisers were so helpful and filled me with confidence.
"I wanted to get a trade and I thought there was nothing out there, but there are loads of resources. The good thing about GLLaB is that they're local and they do go all out to help you."
Removing barriers to work
Cllr Denise Hyland, cabinet member for Economy and Skills, said: "I’m pleased to see these GLLab out-reach services are helping parents like Jennifer to gain the skills they need to access work, training or volunteering opportunities. This is a further example of how GLLaB responds to the specific needs of each person they see.
"Our aim is to encourage more residents who are looking for a job to contact them. The Work for Families project offers additional support and helps to remove barriers such as a lack of childcare."
Find out more about GLLaB