St Helens Borough Council is recruiting a number of paid employment opportunities for out of work residents as part of the borough’s fight to control coronavirus cases.
Through the successful Ways to Work programme – delivered across the Liverpool City Region, with St Helens Borough Council responsible for the St Helens element – a total of 40 multi-skilled positions have become available to current clients to assist with the running of the borough’s three asymptomatic testing centres located at St Mary’s Market, Chester Lane Community Centre and Grange Valley Youth Centre.
Ways to Work will also be working with Jobcentre Plus (DWP), Ingeus Work and Health, and other partners to identify and support local people into the roles.
The three-month posts, which pay more than the national minimum wage, include a mixture of roles, including testing site team leaders, responsibilities for which involve general daily tasks such as queue management, registration, preparing and processing tests, providing guidance for self-testing, disposal of medical waste -and ensuring that the sites are set up efficiently for all service users.
The latest employment opportunities follow on from the success of the Ways to Work programme – which look to secure job and training opportunities for those facing the biggest barriers to employment – has achieved in recent months by supporting local people back into work.
Since March, as it started to tighten its grip on the UK and the rest of the world, Covid-19 has brought many unprecedented challenges, impacting the economy massively – resulting in mass job losses across the country.
During this period, the Ways to Work team has assisted more than 400 out of work people with advice, with more than 150 going onto find employment with the team’s help.
St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Business, Councillor Kate Groucutt, said: “Becoming unemployed is such a devastating experience which can bring about so much stress, worrying about how to pay the mortgage or rent, pay the bills and put food on the table – so I’m grateful that our dedicated team are having success in helping residents back into work during these difficult and challenging times.
“As a council we are committed to supporting local people into employment and not only are these new roles crucial in helping in our fight-back against Covid-19, but they will provide useful experience to take forward for future career options.”
St Helens Borough Council needs all the help and support possible to carry out testing and is therefore asking anyone able to spare some of their time to sign up to volunteer.
To register for this opportunity please visit https://volunteering.haltonsthelensvca.org.uk
Ways to Work is designed to improve personal resilience and progress to sustainable employment for people over the age of 16 who are signed up to the programme which is part-funded by the European Social Fund and Youth Employment Initiative Funding.
You can register by emailing waystowork@sthelens.gov.uk or call 01744 676131.
