New skills club offers a helping hand back into work

A ‘back to work club’ to help local residents wanting to return to work will launch at the Derby Street Children’s Centre in Rochdale on Thursday 27 September at 1pm.

The club is free and will run weekly from 1pm until 3pm offering help with job applications, basic IT skills, interview techniques and CV writing, as well one-to-one support and mentoring from trained staff.

The club is a partnership project between local housing provider Guinness Northern Counties and Rochdale Community Champion Service, a voluntary service supported by Rochdale Council, Derby Street Children’s Centre and Hopwood Hall College.

From a combination of funding from Community First and Guinness Northern Counties, the work club has been equipped with IT equipment and stationery, and enabled the organisers to publicise it locally.

Guinness Northern Counties’ Community Investment Manager Lisa Duffy, said: “The funding has meant we can set up the club with all the equipment we need to get the ball rolling. This is the second work club we’ve set up in this area and we are hopeful it will be a success and help local people to get a foot on the employment ladder.”