Complete Skills Solutions, a leading training provider in the Liverpool City Region, has recently launched Stepping Stones, a new UK Share Prosperity Funded initiative supported by West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The programme has been designed to support local people within the West Yorkshire region on their pre-employment journey by offering individualised support to move individuals closer to the job market.
The programme, which launched in April, aims to work with 365 local individuals by supporting them to take positive steps towards their individual goals. Made up of six different pathways, Stepping Stones is designed to improve people’s lives through mental health and well-being support, job support, budget management and building new connections. The programme is fully funded and available to anybody who is aged 16+ living in the West Yorkshire area and long term unemployed and not ready to enter the employment market yet due to health barriers.
Complete Skills Solutions already have excellent partnership links in the West Yorkshire area, with strong relationships to The Community Shop and their locations. Indeed, their primary delivery location is from within the Community Shop on Tong Street, Weaverthorpe Road, right in the heart of Bradford. This well-established partnership affords learners signing-up to Stepping Stones with a unique opportunity to benefit from free membership to Community Shop. The membership will give them access to up to 70% off groceries by shopping in a Community Shop with, fruit and veg from as little as 20p, and provide them with affordable meals and cooking courses via the Community Kitchen.
Managing Direct of Complete Skills Solutions, Ian said:
“We are delighted to have been awarded the contract by West Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver such a vital programme to support local people in the area. Through the work we have carried out in the Liverpool City Region, we have seen the lifechanging effect these pathways can provide to people by helping them navigate the frequently challenging landscape faced when trying to upskill and (re)enter employment. To expand our offering to a new region and help even more people is something I am extremely proud of and to be further building on our established partnership with the Community Shop to support our learners only adds extra value to what we can offer. I am sure we can make a real difference to the lives of West Yorkshire residents through the Stepping Stones programmes.”
The Stepping Stones team have already hit the ground running, immersing themselves into the local community via community centres, doctors’ surgeries, job centres and shopping centres, all with the aim of engaging with local people and offering them support through tailored programmes. To date, 80 learners have been enrolled onto the Stepping Stones programme, with an additional 20 learners who have expressed their interest to begin their journey. The programme will not only improve the lives of a significant number of people, but also add a tremendous amount of social value back into the West Yorkshire community.
There are no fixed enrolment dates for any of the pathways within the Stepping Stones programme, anyone meeting the eligibility criteria and looking to benefit from this exciting new initiative are invited to register their interest online or call in to their hub within the Bradford Community Shop to chat with a member of the team.
