“The excellent collaboration and support the P2E staff has given us is nothing short of phenomenal”
Hyacinth Bonaparte, Managing Director
BLACK-LED COMMUNITY ORGANISATION
CASE STUDY: Postive Employment Brokerage
Positive Employment Brokerage (PEB) was established in 2001 to offer support and opportunity for members of the community (with a focus on North London) to find employment. As a not-for-profit organisation, PEB is dedicated to offering support and opportunities for individuals seeking employment. Over the years, PEB has grown and diversified its services, but its primary mission remains unchanged: to assist clients in securing paid employment.
Through the Pathways2Economic Opportunities Programme (P2E), which is managed by the London Community Foundation, with philanthropic support from JPMorgan Chase, and delivered by ARE and The Ubele Initiative, ARE spoke to Positive Employment Brokerage’s Managing Director, Hyacinth Bonaparte about her experience of the programme.
Funding support has been crucial for Positive Employment (PEB) in its mission to assist the unemployed in re-entering the workforce through work-based training and personalised services. We have been able to increase the number of clients we support and fill an essential gap in the Waltham Forest local authority’s job brokerage services.
The funding has allowed us to provide more intensive 1-1 upskilling support to people with multiple disadvantages in Waltham Forest, as well as find them employment. Our staff work closely with clients who are both short and long-term unemployed to address their skill gaps, improve confidence and help clients overcome inhibitions about re-joining the workforce.
We’ve also been able to offer group workshops and training. This has really helped build peer support amongst those who feel isolated – especially when it comes to long-term unemployment.
The P2E funding has facilitated increased access to resources such as training materials, job search tools, and networking opportunities. This has boosted our support services, which now includes intensive support to build skills and complete training; build confidence and motivation to excel at interviews and find paid employment; and establish networks with employers through job fairs that we encourage clients to attend in Waltham Forest.
In summary, funding support has been instrumental in enabling us to fulfil our mission of supporting unemployed community members in Waltham Forest through personalised, one-on-one assistance, group settings, tailored programs, and access to resources and training.
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