Pay online
Find a form
Bin & Wheelie collections
Find your councillor
Council meetings & agenda
Compliment or complain
Garden waste collection
Licence applications
Planning Applications
Publications
Clubs & Organisations
The Future Jobs Fund is a DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) back to work initiative and is being implemented in the Thanet District by “Thanet Works” - the partnership formed by Thanet District Council to deliver the Working Neighbourhood Fund. Thanet Works has successfully created 118 jobs in partnership with 15 employers to meet the area’s need for employment opportunities.
Ministerial Visits
Since the launch of the Future Jobs Fund programme Thanet Works has been visited by two ministers;
previous South East Regional Minister Jonathon Shaw and Jim Knight, previous Minister of State for
Employment and Welfare Reform.
Jobs have been created in the following areas:
and in the following wards:
The Thanet Works Board has identified an opportunity to match fund the DWP funding by extending the placements by a further 6 months – thus in total providing an employment opportunity for a 12 month period.
Funding has been allocated for the extension of 67 posts.
This will provide a further opportunity to enable the employees to further expand their skills and increase their work experience.
The Thanet Works Board have also allocated funding to provide a discretionary training to cover the cost of training which is not available through mainstream funds.
This fund will also cover other unavoidable costs such as CRB checks, personal protective equipment, uniforms, etc and will part finance travel expenses of the employees when necessary in order for them to access out of area training.
Thanet Works are working in partnership with the employers to identify and fund training requirements when requested, maintaining the ethos that the Future Jobs Fund initiative should not be financially disadvantageous to the employer.
Training has been provided in the following areas:
Job Title: Receptionist/Junior Admin Assistant
Organisation: Millmead Children’s Centre
Unemployed for 7 years
“I’m a single mum, and after I’d had my children I found it really difficult to get back into work. I had applied for lots of vacancies, and completed a number of “Back To Work” and IT training courses but I had no response from employers. I decided to volunteer at the Millmead Children’s Centre which I did for 15
hours per week. Then when the children’s centre took part in the Future Jobs Fund initiative and advertised vacancies I applied and was offered a paid position.
The thing that’s been most enjoyable about the experience is just simply being able to work again, being out of the house, and with people. I love being able to work, especially here. It makes me feel
worthwhile. I’m not really a people person, probably because I spent so much time at home alone with my children, but since working here I have improved a lot. Now that I have this work experience I will feel more confident about applying for other administrative jobs when my Future Jobs Fund contract is finished.
I think that the Future Jobs Fund initiative is a really great idea.
I’m now being paid for work I was doing before voluntarily.”
Job Title: Maintenance Operative
Organisation: Thanet District Council
Unemployed for 2 years
“Before I was employed by Thanet District Council through the Future Jobs Fund I had been unemployed for 2 years. I was trying hard to find work, and I had been invited to a couple of interviews but nothing came of it. I felt really beaten down after I’d had so many rejections. Nine times out of ten I wouldn’t even get a response at all, not even a “no thank you” and it was really demoralising. Even when I was occasionally invited to interviews I didn’t ever expect to be successful. I like being able to work, and having a routine. I find not working really monotonous. I had previously completed a 2 year course in carpentry, so it’s been really good being able to make use of my current skills, whilst learning new ones. I feel much more confident now. My Future Jobs Fund experience has been very beneficial for me. I think that I will be more confident in job interviews now that I have this work experience to talk about, and to show on my C.V.
I am even considering self-employment as my next step.”
Unemployed for 18 months
“Before I was employed by Thanet District Council through the Future Jobs Fund initiative I had been unemployed for 18 months, and couldn’t find work. I had just completed a Motor Vehicle course and was ideally trying to find a position as a mechanic. I sent letters to around 170 different garages but had no luck. I feel a lot more confident now about applying for jobs. I am picking up new skills everyday and these skills will be easily transferable to other manual roles."
"The Future Jobs Fund gets you back into the mentality of being able to work and wanting to work.”
Job Title: Administration Assistant
Organisation: Thanet College
Unemployed for 11 months
“This is the best career opportunity I’ve ever had. I had no experience in this field previously, and now I’ve gained skills that I didn’t have before. I now feel very confident about the jobs I will have in the future. I don’t think I will have any issue gaining employment elsewhere when my Future Jobs Fund contract has finished. I have gained so much knowledge and experience so far and I am continuing to develop my skills. My experience of the Future Jobs Fund has given me the confidence to want to try new things and expand my skills. It has done so much for me."
"I couldn’t have landed on my feet better. “
Job Title: Sports Trainee
Unemployed for 6 months
“I absolutely love the job, and I think it’s a shame that it’s only a temporary position. I have gained so many
qualifications through working here as well as new skills and experience. I feel much more confident now
about jobs I will have in the future. The Future Jobs Fund experience has been a real confidence booster. I
previously attended the Sport 4 NRG after school clubs when I was younger and coaching has always been
something I’ve wanted to do. Now through the Future Jobs Fund I have been able to.
"I think that the Future Jobs Fund initiative is a really good idea; it has given people a lot more in
life.”
“I had been unemployed for 6 months before I was employed by Thanet District Council through the Future Jobs Fund. I had previously been a professional footballer, but I became injured and could not continue in this role. I was ideally looking for sport related work, but I applied for lots of different positions but I found it difficult as my qualifications are all sport related. I now feel very confident about finding work when my Future
Jobs Fund contract finishes. I have made a lot of new contacts and I now have more knowledge of potential employers. The feedback from employers I have spoken with has been really
positive."
"The Future Jobs Fund has opened up a lot of opportunities for me.”
Job Title: External Funding Assistant
Unemployed for 4 years
“Having been given this experience I am now open minded to more options. I did not consider
accountancy as a career previously but I would now. I have gained a lot of confidence especially
in speaking on the telephone. I have gained a lot of office skills which will be transferable to other job roles. I have found the Future Jobs Fund initiative very beneficial for me. It’s the most useful thing that the Job Centre has been able to offer me."
"The Future Jobs Fund is a great help for those who need a boost in confidence.”
Rebecca Bradley - Millmead Children's Centre
“Future Job Fund has been an invaluable opportunity for MCCPL to enable us to increase capacity for a specified amount of time. It has allowed us the room to develop new posts and to see how these fit in with the organizational structure. The extra manpower has allowed us to enhance the services that we provide to our client group in the local community. We have employed 8 Future Job Fund individuals each of whom has contributed to their individual department and therefore the overall objectives of the organization and this has in turn contributed to the improvement of outcomes for children, families and the local community.”
By April 2011 all of the Future Jobs Fund employees will have completed their contracts and Thanet Works will begin to analyse their outcomes.
Administrative Assistant
E-mail: carrie.donegan@thanet.gov.uk
Tel: 01843 577038