Leaping into a brighter future
Posted on March 13th, 2008
Twelve lone parents from Sheffield have gained skills at their local learndirect centre to help them find work during the last six months – thanks to a chance meeting on a bus!
Jane Ward, formerly a lone parent herself, works for The Lone Parent Engagement & Activity Programme (L.E.A.P.) and while travelling on a bus she overheard learndirect tutor Richard Bayly talking about his work.
‘He was advising a lady who wanted to upgrade her skills and I was eavesdropping!’ said Jane. ‘I asked him where he worked and went to see him and find out how they operate at the Sheffield centre, which is provided by Business Advice Direct, and now whenever I can I direct people to learndirect in Sheffield.’
Launched in September last year, LEAP helps lone parents of any age or sex to overcome barriers which prevent them from moving on and becoming ready to be employed. Jane knows how hard this can be for single parents who feel isolated and vulnerable as they struggle to cope with childcare and daily pressures on their own.
‘The barriers can be housing prices and debt, but also learning problems, having no qualifications or just needing to get their brains working again – and this is when I send them to learndirect,’ said Jane. ‘Many lone parents have left school with no qualifications – regardless of their age – and many have no friends. Going to the learndirect centre gives them the confidence to communicate with other people.’
The lone parents Jane is currently helping range in age from 18 to 51, but she does help mums under 18 as well and explained that parents who are still in full time education also qualify for assistance.
Jane encourages them to move out of their comfort zone – to actually leave the house and their familiar surroundings so that they can learn and meet new people to improve the quality of their life.
‘Passing a course is a tremendous confidence builder and they are delighted when they succeed and can’t wait to tell me about it!’ said Jane. ‘My job is to make sure they are work ready, confident, have the skills behind them and something to put on their CVs! I have taken learndirect courses myself and I get great feedback about BAD Sheffield which really helps people who are in a very vulnerable situation, whatever their age or background. It is quite scary to leave the cocoon-type world that they are in and do something different.’
For parents who have lived alone for a long period of time, leaving the house at all, and particularly walking into a centre, can be daunting. Jane arranges to meet customers at local cafes so that parents have to leave their house and take a bus, and she goes with them to the centre on their first visit so that she can introduce them to the tutors and have a chat so that the customer feels at ease.
‘I see myself as a signpost,’ said Jane. ‘Whatever they need, I can point them in the right direction and learndirect is brilliant, particularly if someone wants to get back into doing administration work and needs to brush up on their computer skills. I find it very rewarding to know that my lone parents are doing well at BAD Sheffield where there is a choice of courses including CSCS, English, Maths and Food Hygiene, all of which can help them find a job.’
