Case Study: Training and Development - Regional Enterprise Developers

 New Beginnings - Creative Solutions

Regional Enterprise Developers run a programme which is custom designed for women to upgrade and build new transferable skills to enter further/higher education, the labour market, volunteering or participate in non-traditional areas of work. The programme improves awareness of opportunities in non-traditional areas of work, especially self-employment and business start up for women who experience social exclusion and multiple disadvantage through barriers such as access to childcare/care, poor transport, lack of local jobs, low wages and low entrepreneurial skills

The programme explores areas such as:

• Self awareness/confidence
• Regeneration
• Enterprise/entrepreneurship
• Self employment
• Business ideas generation

Women work in small groups and participate through discussions, role-play, fun exercises, word showers, individual presentations and feedback from their own information gathering.

20 women completed the course in 2006 and two have set up their own businesses. One of these is a sports therapist who is partially sighted and has partnered up with an unemployed woman who will be responsible for transport and administration. 12 women went on to further training and education to build on their skills. Three others have applied for and got jobs that they would not have considered before the training.

After the first course the programme was adapted in the light of feedback. Comments included that not all aspects of the course were applicable to all participants, so the course was adapted into modules which women could select More time could then be spent on each module to suit the participants.

Regional Enterprise Developers recently set up an ethnical, profit-sharing recruitment agency, New Beginnings E-quality Personnel, specialising in diversity and equality in the workplace. Since the launch in January 2007 over 200 people have registered with the agency, several being successfully placed in full-time and part-time employment with local companies.

RED have increased their own staffing by 150%, including two young people on apprenticeship and placement schemes and two older women who job-share administrative duties.Contact Point