employability schemes and networking for small community groups??? HELP!?

Question

Can anyone help?  I am asking on behalf of the South Devon Players, a small non-profit community theatre company from Devon (UK) 

We are looking to link our voluntary opportunities with people developing employability skills and references, (as people have done with us since we started) but we cannot find any information on how to go about this. 
We are a small non-profit community group, no-one making any profit from the group/ no paid staff, and the only things we have found online are for profit-making organisations offering opportunities or schemes relating suitable for larger groups not small community groups. We have approached the jobcentre who didnt reply, and we have approached some advice places for non-profit groups and just been sent around the houses with no information forthcoming, and again, virtually no replies anyway. 
We have quite a history of people using thier time with us for skills building and then being able to use those and references to go on to work and further/ higher education, and we are seeking to formalise this and open it up to more people, to help local people in these tough times, but we can find no contact for formal advice/ networking in setting this up. While we are not looking for money to do this, nor do we have enough money to pay to join schemes, either,  which is all we have been able to find. 
Do you have any contacts please?

positively enterprising · Accepted Answer

It sounds like you wish to turn the experience and reference generating capacity of your existing non-profit into something more formal, in order to start generating more training possibilities (and by the way some new employment possibilities in the process). The first activity I would therefore undertake is to do internet searches for existing providers, and ask them individually if anyone wants to link up with you in the way you suggest, although clearly this may require a substantial amount of effort before gaining any success.

Due to the involvement of employment and training however, I would also suggest your first port of call for advice after the holidays could be the CIPD, as the national body for employment and training.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/contactus  

There is also a possibility that you could set up something new on the side here, and I would therefore also suggest investigating the notions of social enterprise (see my About Me) which is set to be strongly promoted next year, especially alongside the Olympics in London, and then more specifically the organisations helping people to set up and run Community Interest Companies (CIC's).

http://www.bis.gov.uk/cicregulator/  
http://www.cicassociation.org.uk/  

I think it's good that you wish to extend the positive and constructive parts of your activity, and I hope your efforts go well. With best wishes for the remainder of the season and the new year
positively enterprising

? · Answer

No effect on me both. it really is my facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Youtube all rolled up into one position. The senior citizen community isn't all bonkers over sharing each and each of the gory thoughts of our lives. basically submit a sparkling web page. satisfied to be of help.

Anonymous · Answer

Let me think

employability schemes and networking for small community groups??? HELP!?

3 Answers