Case study: Women Returners - North Lanarkshire Council

The Women’s Placement Programme is a personal development training and work experience programme. It targets women returners to the labour market who live in disadvantaged communities in North Lanarkshire Participants will have spent time away from a working environment because of family commitments.

The project is delivered 2 days a week on a part-time basis for 10-20 weeks in a highly supportive learning environment within their local community to increase accessibility, in family friendly hours to enable participants with school aged children to attend. All travel expenses, childcare costs and subsistence are met by the project.

The course offers:

• Training in softer skills, such as, confidence building, team working and effective communications
• Opportunity to work towards nationally recognised qualifications
• Training in workplace issues such as, stereotyping in the workplace, work/life balance options and perceived barriers to employment
• Tailored work experience in a sector of industry of the participant’s own choice, though they are encouraged to seek a placement in an area in which women are under represented, eg, in construction
• Career advice and guidance on skills gaps and shortages, promoting industries with good employment opportunities

The programme has been running for more than 10 years. Two women have opted for placements in areas where there is a gender imbalance: in a local garage and a music studio. To date, over 650 women have participated in the programme For some participants further training which is more work focused is the route back to the job market. 260 (40%) have accessed another course and 247 (38%) gained employment. However, more results are anticipated as programmes for 2007 have just started.

The programme has now linked with other local employers and organisations to offer a greater variety of work placements, including car mechanics and sound engineering as well as construction. A local recording studio offers placements for women interested in music and has developed a one day workshop to give a taste of setting up equipment and working in the control room as a sound engineer. The workshop also gives an opportunity for team working and for the participants to consider the flexible working potential.

Initially the programme was set up to support women re-entering the workplace in any area, but the focus is now on companies where women are under-represented.