Work Routes is a free support service that helps unemployed people start working.
We can provide you with an expert Employment Adviser and access to a wide range of training, wellbeing and financial support.
Whatever your circumstances, we can help you find and start the right job for you.
Here’s how it works…
1 - Skills training
Developing new skills, or refreshing existing ones, can be an important step in finding work.
We can offer over 1000 courses for developing skills for a chosen sector or role.
If you need it, we can help you improve your digital skills, or work on characteristics like self-confidence or team working.
2 - Health & wellbeing support
We know that concerns about your health can often make starting and staying in work more difficult.
We are a Disability Confident Leader, which means we are committed to making work accessible for everyone.
Specialist support from our partner Reed Wellbeing can help with a range of physical or mental health needs, including with coping with stress or anxiety, managing pain, improving your diet, being more physically active and managing your health at work.
3 - Financial help
We have funding available to make sure that the cost of returning to work is not an issue for you.
We can help with the cost of travel, interview clothes or equipment for work. We can also pay for skills and training courses for you.
We can also help you plan and budget your money for when you are working – including making sure that any job you apply for will make you financially better off than not working.
4 - Self-employment guidance
Working for yourself can be a great option for people who value flexibility or have a trade they can promote.
We provide access to seven Working for Yourself modules, including advice on turning a hobby into a job, making a business plan, invoicing & bookkeeping and promoting your business.
5 - Job searching
The jobs market is always evolving and the ways we look for work change.
Your Employment Adviser can help you identify suitable opportunities and show you the best places to job search. You can use our Digital Hubs and Online Careers Centre to help.
Our teamwork with lots of valued, local employers and provide access to a range of job vacancies that you might not find anywhere else. There will be Jobs Fairs and careers events happening in our offices too.
6 - Job applications and interviews
We work to find the right employer for you, and your situation, once you have found the right role for you, your Employment Adviser can help your complete applications and prepare a gold standard CV, interview training and skills and support doing applications and prepping.