Charity aiming to add job club to CV (From Wiltshire Times)

Charity aiming to add job club to CV in Westbury

2:00pm Saturday 18th August 2012 in Latest News By Will Frampton

JOBSEEKERS in Westbury could soon benefit from a job club to help with finding work, brushing up CVs and practising interview skills.

The club would be held at the Crosspoint Centre, Market Place, a charity set up last year by churches to provide help, advice and access to computers.

Last night, members of Westbury Area Board met to discuss providing a £2,000 grant for a 12-month pilot project at the club.

If all goes as planned it is expected to be held on Friday mornings, starting from October.

Crosspoint chairman the Rev Dai Davies said: “We have been organising the club, but the area board are encouraging us to bring it forward.

“We already have a lot of jobseekers coming in to use the computers, but we will be offering help with updating CVs and maybe mock interviews.

“A lot of people take these skills for granted, but not everyone is familiar with the interview environment.

“We have someone from Selwood Housing coming in to talk about managing your money, and we are thinking about combining this with the club – it would make sense.”

The plans for a job club were initially suggested when the charity was set up last year, but with the area board backing the scheme they have been brought forward.

Mr Davies said the charity has been getting a steady stream of clients since it was set up in the midst of minor controversy last year, with some locals concerned it would be a drop-in centre for drug addicts.

He said: “It is running okay. We are constantly in use with people chiefly coming in to use the internet, or to get help with complicated forms. This is the next step.”

Motivated by public responses to the Westbury Forward community planning event held earlier this year, the board also considered grants last night for a dental health awareness campaign for young children, and a poster campaign against dog fouling.

Community area manager Sally Hendry said: “One of the things which came up at the Westbury Forward event was the need to do more to help young people in the area.

“We don’t have particularly high unemployment for Wiltshire, but it is mainly around the over-50s and those aged 18 to 24, and a job club looks like it could help those people.

“We are focusing on the issues raised by local people at that event, including dog fouling and dental health.”

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