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A week in the life of... an employment and training manager
Dawn Grant’s team provides support at three job hubs in Kent, working in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, Citizens Advice and local providers
Monday
Monday is my non-working day, so I spend time with family and friends. I also look after my grandson, which keeps me very active!
Tuesday
Today is a busy day at the weekly job hub, where the team supports customers with CV reviews, job searches and job applications. I catch up with partner agencies and a work coach from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
I talk to one of our residents who is a lone parent on Universal Credit. She explains that she has accrued debt from the cost of living crisis and is so worried that she can’t focus on job searching. I arrange for her to see our financial inclusion team so they can provide more bespoke advice and support.
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Wednesday
Today is our Help to Work event in Swanley. We have partnered with the job centre and local employers. It is so much more than a job fair: we link in with Citizens Advice, training providers and Warm Spaces, and our fuel efficiency advisor is there to offer additional support.
At the event, I catch up with some partner agencies to see what free training will be available soon. I also catch up with a DWP community partnership manager to discuss upcoming workshops.
Thursday
We have team time to discuss yesterday’s event, looking at what went well and how we can improve the next one. We had around 65 attendees, so engagement was good.
We then move on to our Making a Difference training. This is a toolkit and training programme to help colleagues manage challenges and provide more resident-focused services and communication.
Next up, I visit staff from another job centre, where I join their learning hour and outline our employability offer.
In the afternoon, I attend a management meeting with our head of communities in the office. It is nice to see my colleagues and catch up with them.
Friday
I visit Abacus, our social enterprise that repairs, restores and sells on unwanted but reusable donated furniture. Our residents receive a discount and all income supports our social and environmental goals.
I also pop in to see the team from Men’s Shed. The group is aimed at residents who may benefit from improving their social connections to support positive mental health.
As I look back at my busy week, I think how much I love a job where I can truly make a difference.
A week in the life series
Our ‘A week in the life’ series features housing professionals talking through what they do in their job on a day-to-day basis.
Find out about the different challenges housing workers in a variety of roles face in a given week.
We aim to feature staff from housing associations, ALMOs, local authorities and more.
Click here to nominate yourself or a colleague for inclusion
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