With the Commonwealth Games fast approaching in July, Tom Beard, Employer Engagement Manager and his team, organised the delivery of the Commonwealth Games Jobs Fair in Birmingham. Working in conjunction with the DWP and Serco’s regional supply chain provision, over 640 Restart Scheme Jobseekers attended the fair, meeting the Games’ official contractors who are recruiting across the care, retail, cleaning, security, administrative, production, work-from-home and hospitality sectors.
Birmingham | Reed in Partnership has supported one young jobseeker into a promising career within the NHS, with vocational training and a clear progression route on the horizon.
Dan* joined the Restart Scheme in early November 2021. Although his academic success was notable, he had struggled to find fulfilment throughout his career. After speaking with the Manager at the Llanelli Standard newspaper where Dan had volunteered, he has turned volunteering into a paid position with the company.
When referred to the Restart Scheme, single parent Sian was sceptical about how it could support her, expressing it felt like a ‘tick box exercise’, but she gave it a go. Fast forward just a few months, and Sian has started work as a Customer Services Advisor at Serco, saying, “this is not the case… [the Restart Scheme] is way better than I thought it would be!”