Tag: Capital City Partnership

Five city projects shortlisted for public service awards

Edinburgh is a five-time nominee for this year’s Scottish Public Service Awards. Now in their tenth year, the awards are run by Holyrood Communications in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to help celebrate the contribution of public servants.  

Capital-based nominees include Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome, a community and voluntary sector partnership which has helped welcome more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion early last year.

The initiative, which was organised in collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), is in the running for the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award.

Also nominated is the Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub, a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Royal Bank of Scotland which has supported Ukrainians arriving in Scotland by providing property and facilities management, opening bank accounts, raising aid, distributing donations, volunteering, running events, giving specialist expertise, and offering women and girls tech training and employment. The project is in the running for the Commercial Partnerships Award.

The City of Edinburgh Council-led Granton Waterfront Regeneration has also been shortlisted for this year’s Sustainability Award.

Led by the council, the plan involves working with partners to deliver a new and sustainable 20 minute neighbourhood community for Edinburgh. The regeneration is already underway and once complete, will feature around 3,500 new net zero carbon homes and business start- up space.

This is all within what will become Europe’s largest coastal park – with new and enhanced green spaces and opportunities for the creative arts, culture, and leisure, connected to the rest of the city by sustainable transport routes.

Welcoming the news Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We’ve been putting a huge amount of work and ambition into creating a better, greener, fairer future for residents so recognition like this – for how the Council and city partners are trailblazing in many areas of Scottish public service – is very welcome.

“For instance, the huge amount of change we’re seeing in Granton is creating an exciting and sustainable place to live, work, travel and have fun. It is fantastic to see it shortlisted for a sustainability award.

“It is also positive to see our efforts with partners to help those from Ukraine being recognised. These projects have allowed people to not only move to Scotland but put down roots. Our work with NatWest to help those fleeing war into work and study is one of three employability projects supported by the council to be nominated for an award.

“We face big decisions about how we address our housing and climate emergencies, and one of our biggest priorities is make sure those in our communities feel supported and welcome. All of these projects are successfully working towards that aim. I’d like to wish everyone involved in the very best of luck.”

Other council supported nominees include the Whole Family Equality Project, supported by the Capital City Partnership, which supports families from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Edinburgh to reach financial resilience, improved health and wellbeing, and positive participation in school life.

Delivered by Children 1st and CHAI and funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Government and Robertson Trust, the project empowers people to take leading roles in decision made about the project’s design and delivery and is nominated for the Championing Diversity and Inclusion Award.

The Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme (IRES) as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal programme, is also in the running for the Project and Programme Management Award.

The programme seeks to evolve regional labour market policy and practice to drive inclusive growth, promising to deliver deliver an additional 14,700 skill improvements across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region and help 5,300 people into employment.

The finalists will be announced on Wednesday 6 December.

Four Square’s Springboard Project

The Springboard programme is for young adults aged 16-25 who are currently either at risk of homelessness or accessing homelessness services across Edinburgh.

Participants will be able to gain qualifications in Emergency First Aid at Work as well as Elementary Food Hygiene.

We will support the group with employability skills such as CV writing, Job Interview Skills and Job Applications. We also run workshops focused on mental health and wellbeing as well as weekly social outings to encourage participants to form lasting friendships.

The programme also includes a 3-day Residential trip with the Scottish Outdoor Education Centre to allow the participants to try their hand at some adventurous outdoor activities like rock climbing, abseiling, archery and much more!

Bus fare can be covered by Four Square and lunch will be provided on each day of the course.

Self-referrals can be made by emailing springboard@foursquare.org.uk

Final spaces remain on free job skills training course at Fort Kinnaird

A free skills training session to help people take their first step on the career ladder is being hosted at Fort Kinnaird in collaboration with Capital City Partnership (CCP) next week.

Delivered by the Focus on Recruitment and Training (FORTY) scheme, which is based at the centre, the one-week course on retail and customer service skills will give participants an SQA accredited Customer Service qualification, as well as support with CV building, job applications and interview tips, and an opportunity to be interviewed by a recruiting Fort Kinnaird retailer.

The course is open to anyone aged between 16 and 24, will run from 31st of July – 4th of August.

To help local people build their confidence in applying for retail job vacancies, participants will also have the opportunity to hear from Fort Kinnaird employees about their career journeys to date, alongside getting their advice on applying for retail or hospitality jobs.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We know how difficult applying for a job can be, so we want to help people in our community take the first step – whether it’s moving into employment for the first time or a jump between careers.

“FORTY provides a fantastic opportunity for individuals to seek advice, learn more about the retail industry and gain new qualifications.” 

FORTY is funded by Fort Kinnaird’s co-owner, British Land, and in-kind support from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.

To register or to find out more information about the course, please contact Maria at: maria.banaszkiewicz@capitalcitypartnership.org  or call  07856089669.

More information on FORTY and upcoming skills training opportunities can be found here: https://www.fortkinnaird.com/whatson 

Fort Kinnaird is open from 9am – 9pm on weekdays, and 9am – 6pm on weekends.  

Fort Kinnaird launches new local employment project

Fort Kinnaird has collaborated with Capital City Partnership to launch a recruitment project that will support local people with employment opportunities and achieve new qualifications.

The Focus on Recruitment and Training (FORT) scheme is running for three years and is situated next to the Fort Kinnaird Management Suite. The free service is available for people aged 16 and over and works to identify potential roles for jobseekers with local employers, including retailers at the centre.

The FORT project also includes the delivery of youth focused training courses on Retail and Customer Service, for those aged between 16 and 24. 

The scheme’s inaugural course will run from Monday 27th June until Friday 8th July and will feature an SQA accredited Customer Service qualification, support with CV building, job applications and interview tips along with an opportunity to be interviewed by a recruiting Fort Kinnaird retailer.

FORT is funded by Fort Kinnaird’s co-owner, British Land, and in kind support from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “As a hub for many local communities, it’s extremely important to us that we use Fort Kinnaird’s scale to support projects that will make a real difference to the lives of those living closest to us. 

“We’re so pleased that the new FORT project will be available for people to access free advice, training and job opportunities and provide them with the difficult first step into employment or the jump between careers.”

Kenny Hall, integrated employer engagement officer at Capital City Partnership, said: “Retail and Hospitality are two industries that have suffered significantly in terms of staffing off the back of the pandemic, and employers at Fort Kinnaird are no different.

“Through the new FORT project, we hope to upskill and retrain people from the local community to fill the recruitment gaps at Fort Kinnaird and the surrounding area.

“To register your interest in our first course, please email: TrainingAcademy@capitalcitypartnership.org or drop in to see us at the Recruitment and Skills Centre situated within Fleming House at Fort Kinnaird”

For more information on Fort Kinnaird, visit: 

https://www.fortkinnaird.com/community/recruitment-skills-centre-fort-kinnaird or www.rscfortkinnaird.co.uk.

Young Start lottery boost for Capital employability project

Projects that will boost the physical and mental health of young Scots are amongst those sharing in £732,323 of dormant bank accounts funding announced on Thursday.

Ten projects, run for and by young people, are celebrating the cash from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Young Start fund. 

One of them is Edinburgh’s Capital City Partnership, who receive £62, 500. The city council’s arms-length employability agency will use their Young Start funding to work with ‘young people in Edinburgh at high risk of unemployment’ who will be supported by a dedicated Employment Advocacy worker. The project will work with twenty young people and will also offer two volunteering opportunities.

The Young Start funding will remove barriers to sport and physical activity for young disabled Scots like racerunner athlete Wiktoria Mucha following a grant of £66,000 to local charity, PHSYICAL.

Wiktoria Mucha, 18, from Blairgowrie has cerebral palsy and is a member of Perth Strathtay Harriers which is one of the many partner organisations and sports clubs that PHYSICAL will work with as part of their Young Start funded ‘Positive Beginnings’ project.

Over the next three years hundreds of young people from Perth & Kinross will be able to access coaching opportunities, accredited courses, volunteering opportunities, one to one mentoring and peer support.

Welcoming the news Wiktoria said: “I enjoy race-running as it improves your overall fitness and emotional well-being. I’m looking forward to taking part in Positive Beginnings as I think it will help me with my confidence by meeting other people and learning new skills.”

PHYSICAL trustee Jim Hunter added: “This Young Start grant will allow us to evolve and grow our ‘Positive Beginnings’ programme. Young disabled people, like Wiktoria, will be at the centre of this process and involved throughout.

“It will help each young person develop lifelong skills and knowledge through the platform of sport and physical activity. This cash boost goes a long way to help us reach the financial target for this project.”

Meanwhile, Dundee Football Club in the Community Trust receives £95,624 to help build the confidence, skills and future employment prospects of young people aged between 15 and 24.

The project will create a safe space for young people to access work placements and further education opportunities whilst using their local knowledge to plan and deliver activities for their communities.

Over two years, it will support 45 young people who will create, design and benefit from the programme.

Welcoming the news, Greg Fenton, Community Manager, Dundee FC In The Community Trust, said: “We are delighted with the news of our Young Start grant, which will help us achieve what we set out as a charity to Deliver Change and Transform Lives in our community.

“This project will give young people a fantastic chance in life and, working with our team and partners, this will increase their positive life chances and support them into further education and/or employment.

“The Trust have guaranteed to employ some of the young people on full time and part time contracts from the programme for a full year, so they can give back to their community whilst transforming their lives and the lives of other young people.”

Young Start awards dormant bank and building society cash to youth-led projects across Scotland and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund.

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “At a time when young people are understandably concerned about their futures, it’s great to see that today’s Young Start funding will provide access to accredited courses, volunteering and training opportunities.

“This in turn will help to grow the confidence of many young people like Wiktoria who will lead from the front and realise their full potential.”

Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them during these unprecedented times should telephone 0141 846 0447 or visit  https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/youngstart 

Next Step for employment support in Edinburgh

Since lockdown began in March, the pressures on the job market has been no more acutely felt than in Edinburgh which has been one of the hardest hit cities in Western Europe. 

As we emerge from lockdown, some have returned to work, but there is still talk of recession being announced soon. However, there is already a support system in place for residents experiencing redundancy and unemployment because of Covid 19.   

At the start of lockdown, The City of Edinburgh Council asked employment service Next Step Edinburgh to respond and they are currently supporting hundreds of people who have lost work.

Next Step Edinburgh has been providing employment support for people in and out of work since April 2019, but since March they have adapted their service as registrations from people affected by COVID 19 job losses has increased.  

Will was supported by Next Step Edinburgh to gain employment as a walking supervisor for a building project. He explains what kind of support he received from Next Step before and during lockdown:  

“I was referred to Community Renewal’s Next Step Edinburgh service by my job centre adviser. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had a rather negative experience with a provider prior to this.

“I worked with them to focus my CV and from the first moment was treated with respect by people who genuinely wanted to help. They also assisted me with job interview preparation and a screening job interview which meant I was very prepared for the real interview and subsequently was offered the logistics supervisor role I am currently doing. 

“Unfortunately, the job was stopped after little more than a week due to Covid 19 and was stalled for a few months. Every week during that period I would receive a call from my adviser Ross to check all was ok and if there was anything he could assist with. This was very important to me.

“Thankfully I am now back at work, but I would like to personally thank them for their work and the genuine respect they treated me with throughout.” 

Capital City Partnership has been working with key organisations to coordinate a response to the crisis. Their Deputy Chief Executive, Kate Kelman adds: “We know that people and businesses are finding it really hard just now and the impact on jobs and the economy is likely to be far-reaching.

“Along with our Joined up for Jobs network of provision, Next Steps has literally ‘stepped up’ to support individuals who are facing redundancy and job insecurity. Their high-quality help and guidance will ensure that Edinburgh residents can progress quickly into fair, sustainable work.” 

Lesley Morrison who is a Service Manager for Community Renewal – the charity who deliver the Next Step Edinburgh service – comments on the how they are supporting people right now: “We don’t believe in a one size fits all approach – everyone is different, and we listen to what each client’s needs and together we come up with a plan.

“Some people just need a job right away and we can link them with employers we have relationships with. For everyone else, we work with them, so they are ready for when the job market recovers; whether that be refreshing a stale CV, helping with applications or directing them to vocational training if they are considering a career change.

“Whatever is needed, we are here – and if we can’t support all their needs, we will link with specialist organisations who can help them whilst we continue to support their employment needs.” 

The City of Edinburgh Council continues to fund Next Step Edinburgh to support people to secure and progress into employment.

Additional funding was made available through City Region Deal has also allowed the development of a jobs website –  www.c19jobs.org – which directly assists those who have faced redundancy or job insecurity due to the current crisis. 

Councillor Cammy Day, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said:  “As the economic impact of the pandemic on Edinburgh unfolds, we’re doing all that we can to help people facing financial hardship.

“We know that this crisis is far from over and we stand ready to help our most at-risk residents. The Next Step Edinburgh employment programme is in place to support anybody facing redundancy or job insecurity in Edinburgh. I’m pleased we’re able to fund this service in order to support people back into careers as quickly as possible. 

“The project is part of a package of measures we’re working on right now to prevent long-term unemployment in the coming months and years, including an expanded Edinburgh Guarantee.

“Hailed by the Scottish Government as a really good example of the type of work cities can do to successfully tackle unemployment, our Edinburgh Guarantee has been supporting disadvantaged young people for years. 

“We’re looking to expand this offer even more in light of Covid-19. We want to use it to help people of all ages who might face additional barriers to employment and we’re calling on employers to sign up and support us.” 

Lesley warns that the journey ahead won’t be straightforward, but stresses that nobody has to face it alone – there is support available: “Next Step Edinburgh’s advisers will do everything they can to support you. 

“We are working with employers recruiting right now but we understand those jobs may not be right for some. For those people we will collaborate so they will be front of the queue when the job market recovers.” 

Anyone looking for support can find the contact details on Next Step Edinburgh’s website – www.nexstepedinburgh.org  

Community Renewal’s Next Step programme celebrates success

The Next Step programme has announced a great start in realising its goal of fairer work for residents of Edinburgh. Since its launch in April 2019, over 500 people have been offered free advice, training and connections toward more secure and fair employment.

Next Step is a free service delivered by anti-poverty charity Community Renewal Trust, with support from Citizens Advice Edinburgh, One Parent Families Scotland and Bruce Robertson Training. It is funded by City of Edinburgh Council and the European Social Fund through Capital City Partnership.

Since April, it has helped clients with a wide range of employment related requirements including insufficient income, unemployment, training needs, career stagnation and work and personal issues. Community Renewal hosted a special event today to celebrate passing a key landmark.

Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills Jamie Hepburn MSP, attended the event at Out of The Blue Drill Hall and congratulated the project on its success: “It is fantastic to see how well Next Step has taken off since its launch in April – it is now celebrating over 500 participants joining the programme.

“The providers also tackle a range of employability matters including in-work poverty. I welcome this because it helps create fairer work, and also helps people with other employment-related issues.”

CEO – Paul McColgan – described what makes the project stand out: “The project isn’t just about getting people into work or into better work – it is about transforming an individual’s life.

“Our highly experienced Employment Advisers collaborate with each individual and together they identify their needs. We stick with the client offering bespoke advice, one to one support and links with employers until they have achieved the outcome they want.”

One client, Kevin Gibbons, shared his experience of Next Step: “I approached Next Step because I was looking for work. Thanks to their advisers, I have attended digital training and received funding for a book-keeping course.

“Once I got to the stage of applying for work, I also received help with writing my CV and interview coaching. They also helped with personal development such as improving my confidence. In fact I joked with the Minister at today’s event that if the First Minister is looking for a new addition to the team, I would happily interview! ”

Kate Kelman, Deputy Chief Executive at Capital City Partnership, explained why the project was funded: “This service is potentially innovative, providing holistic support, tailored to the individual and ultimately empowering people.

“We have high hopes that the approach adopted by the Next Step project will result in genuine long–term and sustainable improvements to people’s lives.” 

Despite currently working with over 500 people, The Next Step team invite even more people to contact Next Step; whatever their requirements.

“We are working with Edinburgh Fuse and a great many other employers and as a result we have helped a variety of people into fair work. Whatever challenges and barriers they have experienced, we have been able to work with them to find a solution.

“We urge anyone who is looking for work or in-work but needing advice or support, to get in touch. Our service is free, and we have offices based all over Edinburgh.”

Anyone interested in Next Step can find out more at the website www.nextstepedinburgh.org or call 0300 365 0025.

Children’s Lottery funding for Capital City Partnership

Edinburgh charity Capital City Partnership has been awarded a £20,000 grant from the Scottish Children’s Lottery to help young people into retail and customer facing employment. Continue reading Children’s Lottery funding for Capital City Partnership