Local charity Blackthorn Trust has been awarded a Community Grant to fund a new training programme to support unemployed adults in Maidstone to get ready for work.
The Blackthorn Career Learning and Development (CLD) Programme will provide creative support for unemployed individuals; with a particular focus on women and those with a disability, to build the skills they need to find employment. The CLD Programme is a formal training programme, delivered via 12 sessions, which will develop employability skills.
Those skills will include adapting to change; interview skills and post-interview evaluation; identifying skills; and sourcing training, education, work and volunteering opportunities.
The grant has been awarded by CXK through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) under their Community Grants Scheme via European Social Fund funding (ESF). CXK will be allocating grants of more than £600,000 in total over the course of the next year; grants which are available to organisations which help those furthest from the job market improve their skills and/or get into work or training.
Nathalie Belmas, Development Manager at Blackthorn Trust, said; “This Community Grant award will enable Blackthorn Trust to design, deliver, and evaluate a 12-week career learning and development (CLD) programme for unemployed adults, including those from priority groups.
“We are now excited to be developing this valuable CLD programme for 36 participants in 2020. The programme includes two personal career guidance meetings. In addition there will be 10 interactive group work sessions; where participants can learn with others and through experience.
“The team at Blackthorn Trust are already building a positive and close relationship with grant coordinators, CXK, and look forward to developing this relationship further throughout 2020.”
For further information about Blackthorn Trust, visit: blackthorn.org.uk.
