Employment
If you have lost your job, or are unable to get a job that suits your needs, you need the right help, right now.
Of course everyone’s situation is different, and what works for one person may not be right for someone else; someone leaving college may have quite different needs to someone returning to work as a lone parent.
So here we set out lots of handy links and tips, where you can find practical advice, detailed information, useful guides and inspiration to find the best option for you to get back on to the jobs ladder, no matter where you’re starting from.
Where can I get advice on employment?
Advantage West Midlands provide support and advice for people looking for new employment
Birmingham Settlement Skills for Work programme
Supports local people from deprived areas who want to get into the job market - including many who have been long-term unemployed.
Their facilities at the Centre for the Aston Family combined with outreach work provide advice and training, helping people to secure jobs successfully. Call the Centre for the Aston Family on 0121 250 0777 for more information.
Business insight is the UK's most comprehensive public business information service, with Information for people looking for work or thinking of becoming self-employed.
Where can I get free careers advice, skills and training?
Then National Careers Service provides free information and advice on learning and work.
For Adult learners an Adult Learning Grant is available of up to £30 pw (subject to financial assessment) to help adults studying full-time with the costs of learning.
Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans set at a competitively interest rate that learners aged 18 years or over can use to help pay for learning that leads to work.
If you are a young person aged 16-18 years, Connexions Birmingham provide careers advice if your not in place of learning, a place of work or training for a qualification.
What programmes are available to help me into employment?
Disability Employment Solutions
Do you have a disability or health condition? Do you need help finding or keeping a job? Disability Employment solutions can give you practical support.
Employment Access team
The Employment Access Team helps residents to find the right job with the right skills at the right time. Complete the expression of interest form to register interest in future vacancies.
Employment Connections
Employment Connections brings together a wealth of experience and resources from specialist employment support organisations, including, Prospects, Jericho, Birmingham Disability Consortium, Pertemps People Development Group, Ashiana, ENTA, Merlin, Best Network and Ingeus and many other employment support organisations.
With a pool of experienced, dedicated support staff working across the city in areas that have for too long persisted with persistently high levels of unemployment, Employment Connections is already making a real difference to the lives of local people.
Where can I look for a job?
For a new beginning with real opportunities gov.uk is a great place to find your way back to work.
Useful Links
Help for Residents
Backing Birmingham Homepage
Latest recession news from Birmingham Newsroom
The Development Directorate leads on the city council’s ‘succeed economically’ strategic outcome, and provides a range of statutory and other services to businesses and householders alike.