Employment support at new Jobs Fair this month

Local residents are invited to a Jobs Fair in October at the Tamworth Assembly Rooms, as part of a continued project to support people to search for new employment opportunities.

Tamworth's Employment Action Group, now in its 9th year, was originally set up by Tamworth Borough Council's Community Development Team back in 2012 and aims to bring together support services, education and training providers, to offer better job training and opportunities locally.

In 2018, Community Together CIC took the lead for the group and has been continuing the good work bringing partners together to look at various employment barriers including transport links, mental health barriers, education and training opportunities, through promoting local services and engaging with local employers. 

The group have recently made connections with businesses on the Birch Coppice Estate to work together with transport providers to enable Tamworth residents to travel to work and increase the talent pool for those businesses.

In addition, Tamworth Employment Action Group has also embraced modern technologies and looked at how members are promoted locally, by working with an innovative company Enlighten, based at Tamworth Business and Enterprise Centre. The work has involved creating an augmentative (AR) postcode where people can use their phones to obtain information and connect with local support services.

The group currently consists of 14 members including Enterprise 4 Success, Clarion Housing Group, Care Marketing Development Team, Community Together CIC, Tamworth Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire College, Staffordshire and West Midlands Rehabilitation Service, Support Staffordshire, Tamworth Early Years, Together for Mental Wellbeing, Tool Box, Citizens Advice and Tamworth Training Centre.

Lee Bates, Project Coordinator of Community Together CIC, said “We are excited about launching the new interactive postcard and being part of the Job Fair in October.

“We thank Tamworth Borough Council for their continued support of the Partnership which they started in 2012 and has gone from strength to strength. This is a new way of getting information to people who need support so that partners can assist people to get to job opportunities.  Only one postcard will ever need to be produced and the smart phone technology will do the rest and can be updated at any time.  

“We are so pleased to be working with Enlighten on this project who have been very supportive of our innovative initiative, hence working with us to make this a reality”

If you would like to become a member or are interested to find out more about job support, then pop along to the Jobs Fair on Monday, October 18, from 10am to 1pm at the Tamworth Assembly Rooms.  

Cllr Daniel Cook, Cabinet member for Economy and Waste, said: “Tamworth Employment Action Group offers great support for people looking for new employment and I would encourage individuals to attend the Job Fair and find out what is on offer.

“The group have valuable business support ready to help people that have suffered employment loss due to the pandemic, or are looking for new training opportunities. The event will have plenty of knowledgeable people to hand and everyone attending will be able to take home one of the new AR postcard listing useful contacts and signposting services.”