Flexible New Deal: Stage 4 – Moving Into Work
You’ll also take part in a four-week ‘Work Boost’ – This does what it says on the tin; boosts your chances of finding work. Again, we’ll tailor this to your needs and goals.
Work Boost: Just the Job
Your Work Boost is a crucial part of your Flexible New Deal programme.
It’s like a dress rehersal for work; a four-week period of work experience to get you ready for full-time employment. You’ll find it’s great for getting into a routine again, and it’ll do wonders for your self-confidence.
Coping well with work experience shows you’ll be able to cope with employment, too. But even if the placement doesn’t work out, the feedback your Employment Coach [Career Coach?] gets from the employer can be very useful. Learning from your mistakes can be invaluable for the future.
Together with your Employment Coach [Career Coach?], you’ll decide when and where the best place to take your Work Boost will be.
What Sort of thing will I be doing in my Work Boost?
As well as experiencing what it’s like to be back in full-time employment, it’s also a great opportunity to sharpen your job-search techniques.
You can mix and match according to your needs, but the following list gives a flavour of the sort of skills you can learn:
* Training for job-search success: including CV writing, interview skills and application skills.
* Supported job-search and application activities.
Work experience:
* To gain understanding and skills for a new career.
* To bridge the gap after spending some time out of employment.
*To gain first-time work experience if you’ve never been employed before.
Work-focused training:
* Such as our Step Into courses: comparable to NVQ unit, and nationally accredited via OCN; suitable for gaining training and knowledge within professions such as retail, health and social care or administration.
* Employability skills such as work experience, work skills, personal development or equality and diversity.
Please note that if you find yourself back on Flexible New Deal after being in employment for between four and 26 weeks, that will count as your Work Boost. And if you were working on a work trial just before going on the Flexible New Deal, a Work Boost may not be necessary.
Please see A4E, Flexible New Deal, and “Work Placements” (source) for more.