WIREDGOV

£110,496 to help women from ethnic minority groups towards a job.

A new programme to help women from ethnic minority backgrounds in Glasgow and Dundee into work has received £110,496 from the Scottish Government.

The Bridges Programmes’ Women into Sustainable Employment project includes at its heart English language training specific to key employment growth sectors.

Work experience is also a crucial element and Bridges Programmes and the Dundee International Women’s Centre are working closely with employers in both cities to ensure relevant work placements are available to all participants.

The Programme is expected to boost the economy by enhancing levels of minority ethnic women in the labour market, in both sectors which represent growth in the labour market such as bio-science, early years education, tourism and hospitality and customer service, reflecting the existing skills and experience of the participants.

Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment Annabelle Ewing said:

“Research has consistently shown us that women from black and ethnic minority groups face many barriers to work and are particularly under-represented in Scotland’s labour market.

“This course is aimed at precisely that group of women and I am very pleased that the Scottish Government is able to fund the programme in two of Scotland’s cities to help improve their employability, including building up their confidence, sharpen their English language skills and experiencing the workplace itself.

“We hope that if successful, such an innovative approach to the provision of English for speakers of other languages can be rolled out across Scotland to allow many more to benefit in the future.

“We are committed both to strengthening the economy and reducing inequality in Scotland. Schemes such as Bridges will help us make progress on both fronts by helping a minority group take their rightful place in the workplace.”

Founder and Director of the Bridges Programmes, Maggie Lennon said

“We are delighted that the Scottish Government is funding what we know to be a successful and practical way of getting black and minority ethnic women into work. The key to the approach is working closely with employers at every stage, to ensure that the training is relevant to their needs as well as the women, meaning work- placements are more successful which in turn can lead to more sustainable job outcomes. Once again we see Scottish employers taking a pro-active role in supporting people far from the workplace.

“Being able to extend the project to Dundee is a breakthrough because we know there is nothing to stop this approach being rolled out elsewhere.”

Inez Murray, Managing Director at the Four Seasons at Skypark and Four Seasons at Spectrum also said:

“As an employer, I am delighted to be involved with this initiative. We have previously provided work experience places but the introduction of the ESOL course means the candidates have a better understanding of childcare so can gain greater benefit from their placements. The course and placement skills will allow a smoother pathway in to the job market.”

Notes To Editors

Sarwat Gulzar case study

Originally from Pakistan, Sarwat has lived in Scotland since 2011. Not having worked at home, the big challenge for her was to decide what career she would like to pursue.

Sarwat took ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes to get herself job ready. After successfully completing her classes and identifying early years education as her preferred career, in November 2014 she enrolled in the Bridges’ first Get ready for your career in Early Years Education’ funded by the Scottish Government. Whilst on the course Sarwat really blossomed. Her natural interest in child care was apparent and she really enjoyed learning about the language in a care plan and child protection. As well as studying about the industry as part of the SQA Working with Others Award, the students had to work in groups had to present a game, a story and a song.

Since leaving the course she has been interviewed by a nursery in the city and is beginning a six week work placement which she hopes will give her the necessary experience to start applying for jobs and further qualifications in the Spring.

The Bridges Programmes is a specialist agency, supporting the social, educational and economic integration of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and anyone for whom English is a second language, living in Glasgow. They have entered into a partnership with Dundee International Women’s Centre to deliver this programme in Dundee as well as Glasgow.

In addition to this specific project, a range of English for Speaker of Other Languages courses are available across Scotland. Further information can be found here.