Local adult training provider works with national retailer to provide unemployed people with opportunities

Adult Education Training Provider Innovative Alliance (IA) has recently teamed up with a national retailer to run a Sector Academy Work Programme (SWAP).

The programme is designed to provide pre-employment training for people currently out of work with the view of moving into employment at the end of the programme.

People who participate in a SWAP are more likely to spend less time claiming Job Seekers Allowance following the completion of the programme in comparison to those who do not participate in a SWAP.

On average, following the completion of a SWAP, participants spend 50 days longer in employment and 29 days less on benefits compared to non-participants, this is based on an 18-month timeframe following course completion.

A SWAP offers a flexible approach to creating a skilled workforce and can be adapted to meet the needs of businesses. Innovative Alliance will work closely with your business to design course content, ensuring it meets the needs of the business and the labour market. In this instance they met with the recruitment team and the retailer and devised a plan.

Using their wealth of referral partners such as Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and other welfare agencies, along with their communications, IA were able to source candidates who were the right fit for the retailer. At the end of the course, all participants who had successfully completed this were invited to interview with the retailer, and 100% of them were then offered employment.

Within the last week the team at IA helped 17 of their learner’s secure offers of employment across various sectors, a testament to the quality of training and advice and guidance the team provide.

Woman using a barcode reader in a distribution warehouse

Upon completion of the SWAP the national retailer was extremely impressed with the level of candidates IA produced for interview and the knowledge they had gained through the programme.

They were not the only ones who were impressed by the course delivery at IA, Megan Rosney an Employer Advisor from DWP praised the adult education training provider for making the jobseekers course so successful. She went on to thank IA for their support and professional delivery of an excellent service to the DWP, employer and jobseekers.

A spokeswoman for DWP said;

“Along with other provider organisations and employers across Cheshire, we are really pleased to work with Innovative Alliance and this national retailer who have supported us to deliver one of our initiatives, our sector-based work academy placement programme.

“This employment initiative is part of a package of support to enable our job seekers to seek sustainable employment, contributing to DWP operational objectives and we thank all employers and partners who collaborate with us.’’

Due to the success of the course the retailer has asked IA to deliver the course across more of their sites.