(Taken from ERSA Employability Toolkit)

Tell ERSA what you’re planning!

The day is an opportunity for employment support organisations and employers to celebrate their hard work supporting people to enter or progress in employment. It allows them to shout about their success and drive understanding across key stakeholders at local, regional and national level.

Any organisation that supports people to enter or progress in work can get involved in Employability Day, including charities, businesses, employers, social enterprises, local authorities, housing associations and community groups.

“Employability Day 2022 is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the great work of the employment support sector. Organisations should use the day to demonstrate their own successes and the success of the wider sector.

Despite record levels of employment and vacancies, the number of economically inactive people, particularly older workers are growing. This Employability Day, we are championing the work of employment support providers, who are very well placed to help fill these vacancies and tackle the current participation crisis.

Whether it is through national government contracts or more local, European-funded projects, organisations have supported people, often the most vulnerable, into jobs. Every single vacancy that our sector fills helps to transform the lives of individuals and their communities. This Employability Day, we need to celebrate these achievements with each other and the wider public.” 

- Elizabeth Taylor, CEO, ERSA

Five reasons to take part in Employability Day on 17 June!

1. Celebrate your achievements – its a great hook to shout about your success over the last year.
2. Celebrate your staff – its an opportunity to reward the efforts of your staff who work tirelessly to transform people’s lives.
3. Drive understanding – its the perfect occasion to show key stakeholders and local press the impact of employment support at the frontline.
4. Raise public awareness– join hundreds of organisations across the country in raising the profile of the employment support sector.
5. Have some fun – throw a tea party, lay on some cake... This is a celebration

This Year’s Theme: #WeFillVacancies 

• This year’s Employability Day theme is We Fill Vacancies.
• This is perfect timing, due to the current state of the Labour Market and just before the UKSPF Investment Plan submission window opens.

Key Messaging – use these to underpin your communications on the day. 
Big Picture – Raise awareness and spread understanding about the employment support sector 

• The employment support sector moves people towards or into employment. By this we mean services that include, CV writing, skills training, work placements, health and wellbeing services, housing support, advice and guidance, money advice and more. This is an opportunity for you to articulate what your organisation, and the wider employment support sector, does on a day to day basis.

Local Picture  

• The employment support sector has a big impact on your local community. How many jobseekers have you helped into work? Have the unemployment levels in your community fallen? How many businesses in the area have you worked with over the last 5 years?
• Mention DWP schemes: Restart Scheme, JETS, Kickstart, WHP, IPES + more

Personal Picture 

• The employment support sector has an impact on people’s lives. We are all working to support people into work, and hopefully to a better future, for them, their families, loved ones and communities. Highlight the stories that show the impact of the sector on an individual or family level – both in any comms and during visits.
• Use real case studies – personal stories have a big impact

How Can You Celebrate #EmpDay22? 

• Host a visit – MPs, councillors, employers, local JCP staff
• Hold an event – Jobs fair, open days, online webinar, podcast
• Release a report – celebrate your organisations successes over the past year
• Use social media!
• Write a blog for the ERSA website
• Speak to press – raise awareness about your own organisation and the wider sector
• Engagement Activities – how does your organisation ‘activate the economically inactive’?
• Liaise with your local DWP Youth Hub

Tell ERSA what you’re planning via the Employability Day Toolkit
Employability Day Toolkit (Sharepoint)
This is where we’ll include all the latest briefings, key messages and social media assets. Use this folder to share content, flyers, links or events – alternatively email the team directly via empday@ersa.org.uk.