Caldedale housing group joins call for employment support amid coronavirus

The Calderdale Group, who offer a number of employability support programmes through their charity Newground Together, including one at their Pellon hub and in Halifax town centre, co-signed a letter to the Prime Minister published in the Sunday Times.

The letter calls for an 'Opportunity Guarantee' that promotes innovative job creation, investment in employment support services and funding to ensure young people don’t miss out on opportunities during the expected downturn.

Nic McGrath, Director of Community Programmes at Newground Together, said: “Our employment teams are mobilising a targeted offer to support to the unprecedented numbers of people who either are or are in danger of being made redundant at a time when the labour market has been devastated.

"It’s critical that the government has the importance of providing new opportunities and support for the employability sector in its sights.

“While devastating, Covid-19 has provided insights into new ways of working that will create new opportunities for those able to re-train or those entering the labour market.

"However, without training and focused, intensive support, those opportunities might be not be realised for the people who need them most.”

Ian Clark, Director of Strategy, Communications and Neighbourhoods at Together Housing Group, said: “Social impact is key to what social housing providers want to achieve and, through Newground Together and our Tenant Sustainability Team, we have supported thousands of people throughout this difficult time.

"As we return to a more normal way of working, we wanted to ensure that there are opportunities for our tenants and those who use our services to achieve what they

want and need to.”

The letter was signed by a number of housing and employment specialists including Communities that Work, Learning & Work Institute and the National Housing Federation.