FVA Employability Bulletin, Friday 06 June 2014
Welcome to the June edition of our employability e-bulletin – I don’t know about you but it feels like this month arrived rather sooner than expected. No ‘clouts cast’ yet, but we live in hope.
We are trying not to blink in case it is September again and we miss summer entirely.
In this edition we are very pleased to be able to share with you the final version of the Opportunities Fife Partnership Commissioning Framework 2014 – more detail below
as well as a European Funding Update - more breaking news - if you want to input to the Scottish Operating Programme now is your chance.
There are some other interesting funding opportunities to check out, a new drop-in job club from LinkLiving
and an open day from Kingdom Homes, The Fife Youth Job Contract Celebration Event, Friday 20 June 2014,
amongst others.
There is also a DWP Consultation on their ‘best kept secret’: Access to Work
(deadline of Friday 20 June).
Finally we invite you to check out the Fife Business Diversity Awards – your chance to celebrate people who
go the extra mile in employment, volunteering and divsersity. This is a rare opportunity for us to give people who deserve recognition for going the extra mile.
Our next bulletin will be going out in July, so please send Christine Davison any content you wish us to include by Friday 27 June.
All the best from the team at FVA
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Save the next two Forum dates in your diary:
Wednesday 20 August at 9.30am -12.30pm + lunch
Wednesday 12 November at 9.30am -12.30pm + lunch
We are delighted to be able to share with you the final Opportunities Fife Partnership Commissioning Framework
which outlines the OFP priorities for employability service provision in Fife and in particular will guide the allocation of European and Fairer Scotland Funding in the region for the coming year
and beyond.
Deadlines for service proposals are still to be set but OFP remain committed to a July start. To read the document and find out more about how to apply click
here.
The Scottish Draft 2014-2020 Operational Programmes are now available to view here.
These are a work in progress and they strongly encourage feedback from all of stakeholders. The final draft will be submitted to the European Commission by the end of June.
The UK Partnership Agreement is now expected to be approved by Autumn 2014 which is clearly later than anticipated. Fife Council continue to work closely with the Community Planning Partnership
Network and Scottish Government to ensure we are as well informed as possible and ready to move as soon as decisions are made.
SCVO has launched a call for applications for the next round of Community Jobs Scotland and although many regional quotas are filled they are still accepting applications from Fife-based
organisations. Community Jobs Scotland provides funding of up to �5,000 per job created. For more information please click here.
The Bank of Scotland Medium Grants Programme is open for applications. Grants of between �10,001 and �25,000 are available to charities for projects that develop and improve local communities
and those that develop financial literacy and financial inclusion. Applications can only be accepted from charities registered in Scotland. The next closing date for applications is the 14th July
2014. More information is available here.
The first deadlines for applications under the new policies will be 18 August (for Northern Ireland, Rights & Justice and Sustainable Future) and 1 September (Peace & Security and Power &
Accountability). The Trust will continue its pattern of three grant rounds per year. More information is on the JRCT website.
LinkLiving launched a weekly Wednesday drop-in from 10.00am to 2.00pm for job seekers this week at West Bridge Mill, Bridge Street, Kirkcaldy. More information and contact details are available
on our website.
Fife’s largest family owned care organisation are holding an open day on Tuesday 10 June from 12.00 to 4.00pm at Albion House, Mitchelston Estate, Kirkcaldy. More information is available on
our website.
Gilven are hosting their annual BBQ garden party at Gilven House, Glenrothes. The party will be from 1.00pm onwards, Please contact Gilven
[email protected] to confirm you are attending or call 01592 744849. More information
and their party flyer are available on our website.
The Fife Youth Job Contract Celebration Event on Friday 20 June 2014 is to acknowledge both employers and employees and the successes they have achieved. Young people employed by a selection
of invited guests will be able to show their skills to employers from across various sectors. To find out more about the Fife Youth Job Contract find us at
www.OpportunitiesFife.org, https://www.facebook.com/FifeYouthJobs
and https://twitter.com/FifeYouthJobs
This event will bring the National Delivery Group, Health and Employability Delivery Group and Third Sector Employability Forum together to consider ways to strengthen their partnership
approach to the health and employability agenda to improve success. FVA will be attending and will report back but if you would like to attend click here.
This seminar will discuss how we can build more integrated approaches across services, for the benefits of service users. You can read more or book your place
here.
This workshop is an opportunity to meet with Fast Forward, learn more about their work on substance misuse, and explore the potential to take this work forward with your own service users/local
communities. To read more or book your place visit the Employability in Scotland
website.
This training is a combination of lessons learned from Project SEARCH sites that consistently reach 90 - 100% employment for their interns. To read more or book your place click
here.
This course is for staff who work in lower hazard environments, have fewer staff or where HSE guidelines indicate staff should be trained and hold a certificate in emergency first aid at work. For more information or to book your place click here.
Also DON’T FORGET we host a wide variety of training and learning opportunities for both staff and volunteers here at Fife Voluntary Action, check our
website for more information.
Inclusion is re-launching the Welfare to Work Convention. In 2014 it will be called the IntoWork Convention and will be for everyone involved in helping people find work, keep work and progress
in work. The IntoWork Convention will be larger and more interactive showcasing ‘what works’ in employment, skills, health and for disadvantaged people. For more information or to book your place
click here.
Nominations are being invited for the Fife Business Diversity Awards 2014. These awards specifically acknowledge employers, placement providers, employees and volunteers who have demonstrated
creativity, resourcefulness and originality in the workplace. The deadline for nominations is 1st July 2014. More information can be found on our
website.
DWP have launched a review of their ‘ best kept secret’ Access to Work programme which is designed to help long-term disabled people to start a new job, or remain in employment, with practical
support which goes beyond the “reasonable adjustments” which employers are required to make by laws. To input to the debate click
here.
The final report by the group tasked with helping Scotland develop a world class system of vocational education and training has been welcomed by the Scottish Government. To read the Scottish
Government article about the report click here, and for the full report click
here.
Volunteering is a great way for people to develop their skills, confidence and gain practical work experience. We all know volunteering is great for people who are unemployed, but it’s
important that volunteering is just that, voluntary. Click here to sign-up to the Keep Volunteering Voluntary Agreement
created in response to the UK government’s community work programme and other workfare schemes.
This website was created by young people for young people in the Falkirk area in conjunction with the charity Fixers. ‘Ask Joe’ (Jobs, Opportunities & Employability) is a website designed to
give jobseekers useful information as they search for employment. Visit the website here or read more about the website launch in our
news.
The Scottish Government have launched an animation that aims to appeal to a diverse range of staff in the NHS, third sector and other settings and explain the links between work, health and
wellbeing, encouraging everyone to take a proactive approach in supporting people with health conditions to remain in, return to or move towards working whenever possible. To watch the animation
or for further information click here.
Check out the new look website and most importantly its regularly updated job vacancies list here. Current opportunities include
Pipelayer and a
Business Administration Modern Apprenticeship.