12th July
I hope you are all well. I would like to inform you all of a special recruitment and information event taking place on Thursday this week at Chesterfield College and hope I might ask for your support in promoting and making your service users or customers aware of the event over the next few days. 'Unlocking New Possibilities' is an innovative event organised on behalf of the Derbyshire BME Forum by a partnership of organisations comprising Careers – Joined Up Care Derbyshire, DWP, Links CVS, DCC and East Midlands Chamber. A flyer for the event is attached.
The partnership has worked to develop support that more closely addresses the particular needs of individuals within BME communities with the aim of improving interest and engagement in employment opportunities across a range of sectors, and to achieve real practical gains in promoting inclusion across our system and widening participation from the diverse range of BME and refugee communities in the county. We plan for this event to be a real opportunity for organisations to engage directly with this diverse audience, to provide information on the roles and careers on offer and for those attending to ask questions of representatives from these organisations, to obtain information on the opportunities on offer as well as the support that is available to enable them to actively engage in training and/or employment.
Although the event is 'targeted' at individuals within BME communities from Chesterfield and the surrounding area, it is of course fully inclusive and will attract attendance from across the whole community. We will have a total of 36 organisations attending including a broad variety of employers from both the health and social care and construction sectors, some 'general' employers such as Derbyshire Police who will be promoting their diversity and inclusion employment initiatives and a range of organisations who provide support, advice, education and training, including teams from the National Careers Service and Derbyshire Families Information Service.
There will also be a series of presentations during the day:
10.30-11.00 - Chesterfield College Overview of ESOL and sector specific course provision/explanation of course levels and progression pathways
11.15-11.45 - NHS BAME Network Personal stories of BAME individuals working within the NHS and detail of the support that is available from the Network
12.00-12.30 - UK ENIC (ECCTIS) Formerly UK NARIC. Detail of advice on the conversion and equivalence of overseas qualification to UK recognition
12.45-1.15 - East Midlands Chamber Advice on opportunities for self-employment
1.30-2.00 - Skills for Care Information on opportunities and pathways within adult social care/training and support available to members of BME communities