BRIGG COUNCILLOR WELCOMES FALL IN UNEMPLOYMENT

The unemployment figure for North Lincolnshire has dropped by 3.8 per cent to 2,530 people (May 2016) compared to 2,630 the previous month (April 2016). This is lower than Yorkshire and Humber, which has seen a drop of 3.2 per cent.
Deputy Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, Coun Rob Waltham, from Brigg (PICTURED), who is also Cabinet Member for Business, Innovation, Employment and Skills said: “It is fantastic that the unemployment figure has dropped by 3.8 per cent in North Lincolnshire. This is the lowest since January.
“We are fully committed to providing job and training opportunities for people in North Lincolnshire. We have a range of schemes on offer to support this including our apprenticeship programme, graduate work placements, Wage Incentive Scheme, Wheels 2 Work and the Action Station.
“If you are currently looking for work, would like to progress in your career or are unsure what you want to do next, pop along to the Action Station. They will be happy to discuss your options and point you in the right direction.”

NEWS RELEASE BY NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL 

The council has been providing support for people in North Lincolnshire to find work and making sure people have the skills they need to find employment. This includes:

Action Station
A one stop shop for skills and employment. People aged over 16 can access support to improve their prospects of finding work. Whether they are currently unemployed or looking to progress their career, the Action Station can help them find the right options for them. Since it opened in October 2015 over 2,000 people have benefited from the services on offer.
Services available at the Action Station include:

• Job Club – drop-in session offering support, skills and guidance for finding employment. Mondays (all ages) and Thursday (under 24s) from 1pm to 3pm.
• Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Team – drop-in service for those aged 16 to 19 looking for careers advice and guidance. Tuesdays to Fridays from 12pm to 3pm.
• Armed Forces – drop-in session for anyone interested in joining the regular or reservist military services.
• Training providers – recruitment sessions for anyone interested in traineeships and apprenticeships.
• CV writing – advice and guidance on writing your CV. Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings (appointment only).

For more information, call the Action Station on 01724 296969. The Action Station opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.
You can find out what other advice and support on training and employment is available from the Action Station by visiting our website at www.northlincs.gov.uk/action-station

Apprenticeship scheme
In total the council has taken on over 130 apprentices. The next round of apprenticeships are currently being advertised on our website, www.northlincs.gov.uk, to start in September.
The scheme has an 86 per cent success rate of apprentices going into work with either the council or external companies once they have finished their course. This includes both part time and full time work, and also going onto a Level 3 apprenticeship.
The different apprenticeships have covered a wide range of areas within the council, such as: Economic Development, Environmental Health, Finance, Legal and Democratic Services, Sport in Schools, IT, Commissioning Support and many more.

Graduate placement programme
Graduates were invited to a speed networking event on Thursday 9 June at Civic Centre. 17 graduates attended and spoke to a range of council services. They included:

• Human Resources
• Highways and Neighbourhood Services
• Health Improvement Team
• Housing

All graduates that attended have progressed onto the next stage. Some graduates have already been placed in a service area. One graduate started on Monday 13 June and two others are expected to start at the end of June.
The graduate placement programme is the latest in a series of council schemes to support people getting into employment.

Wheels 2 Work
We have invested £33,000 into the Wheels 2 Work scheme and bought 11 more scooters to help people get to and from work or training. 
​Wheels 2 Work is a scooter hire provision scheme to help people get over the problem of getting to work, college or training because of genuine transport difficulties. The scheme is only open to people who live in North Lincolnshire.
In total, the council will have 30 scooters for people to hire; a mix of 50cc and 125cc. Scooters can be hired for up to 12 months to give you time to either save up and buy your
In addition, the council has been supporting young people aged between 18 and 24 who have been claiming job seekers allowance for over six months gain paid work experience through the Government’s Wage Incentive Scheme.