Edition: Summer 2020
Journey to Work has helped hundreds of local people back into work over the last six years.
The Council’s Employment Support Development Officer, Lesley Beauvoisin, works with job seekers to renew their confidence, improve their employability skills and give them valuable work experience to get them into paid employment and on the road to work success.
In January 2020, Sarah Champniss, who found herself unemployed after a company restructure, approached the Council about the Journey to Work programme, as despite going to lots of interviews, she was still struggling to secure a new job after six months.
Sarah picks up the story:
I went along to the Job Centre in Horsham and met Richard Brook who manages the Council’s successful job club – the Work Information and Support Hub (WISH). He was really supportive. As I was getting the interviews but not any job offers, I considered becoming self-employed and Richard organised me a place at the Pop-up Business School which is a week-long self-employment training course.
I thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from the course which covered areas such as sales and marketing, social media, tax and insurance and examining the actual business ideas people wanted to focus on.
After completing the course we were all given a mentor for 12 months and we meet up as a support group every two weeks which is really useful to avoid feelings of isolation.
I did feel that having a physical disability counted against me at job interviews.
Then a part-time work experience opportunity came up at the Council in the Property and Facilities team which I took up. I am both building on previous skills and learning new skills which is great. I have also set up my own business which I run on a part-time basis.
I think the Journey to Work programme is amazing and I would definitely recommend it. I had no idea there was so much valuable help available which is free to access via the Council.
Sarah Champniss
Get in touch
If you are interested in trying out this programme, please ask your Job Centre Coach or contact the Council’s Lesley Beauvoisin, Employment Support Development Officer, by calling 07917 594002, or email her at lesley.beauvoisin@horsham.gov.uk
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