Employability Day event open to jobseekers in Bristol

The September 11 open event at ‘The Salvation Army, 6 Ashley Road, Bristol, BS6 5NL runs from 11.30am to 2pm.

Jobseekers will be able to meet our specialist employment experts, alongside partners from local organisations, to talk about skills and volunteering opportunities, as well as how to find and sustain meaningful employment, over a cup of coffee and slice of cake.

The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service supports people into quality work, not just any job. Employment Plus helps people who face the biggest barriers to employment such as a lack of up to-to date skills, those who have been unable to search for work due to health problems, disability, or homelessness, and has provided employability support to 40,000 people over the last two years.

A recent report by The Salvation Army, Transforming Lives through Employability, found that on top of the 1.5 million people in the UK who are registered as unemployed, there are a further 1.7 million people who are economically inactive but want to work, making 3.2 million the real unemployment figure.

Only people who are registered as unemployed can receive Government funded employability assistance so those who can’t register often have nowhere to turn for help. In Bristol there are 14,600 people who are classed as economically inactive but want a job.

Unemployment-Report-JUNE-2024.pdf (salvationarmy.org.uk)

Sarah Jefferies, Salvation Army Regional Employment Manager said: “We see thousands of people who are desperate to work but are being held back by the job market for reasons that are very often beyond their control.

"People who have had to stop work to care for loved ones, people who have had their own long term health problems and people trying to rebuild their lives after being homeless. They find that the job market has moved on while they have been ill or caring for others.

“We know that people who have the greatest barriers to finding and keeping work need specialist, long-term, person-centred support from community-based services such as Employment Plus. People often come to us because there is no other support available to them.

“Our Employability Day event on September 11 is a celebration of the lives transformed through employability, as well as an opportunity for local jobseekers to drop in and find out what specialist support is available to them. Everyone is welcome.”

The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service operates in 120 local communities across the UK, providing a bridge between those furthest from the job market and traditional routes into employment by helping people overcome obstacles to entering the workforce.

For more information about the Bristol community event, contact Sara Douglas Moore [email protected] Mob: 07918 287143