FAQS

1. What makes CDG different?
2. What are CDG's key aims?
3. Who are your customers and where do you operate?
4. How many people do you train and how many of those end up employed?
5. What are your greatest challenges?
6. Where's my nearest CDG centre?
7. Where does CDG's funding come from?
8. Do you fill any of your own vacancies from among your customers?
9. How can I get involved with CDG?

What makes CDG different?

 We are one of the few charities to compete commercially for large government contracts – and we do so without compromising our charitable ethos. Unlike commercial organisations, profit is not our primary focus: we answer to customers and stakeholders, not to shareholders and all our funding and any surplus we make in future will go directly towards helping those out of work.

Over 25 years we have built up exceptional local knowledge and relationships with employers from all types and size of business and the local communities have come to recognise that we understand the problems and challenges of long-term unemployment.

Our charitable status and strong social ethos mean we can engage with the local community (by involving it in our local delivery through volunteers at our centres), and local employers (offering them services and support free of charge). We also help the community through involvement in community activities and our customers gaining valuable work experience in working with community organisations. 

What are CDG's key aims?

Our core purpose is to help people who are unemployed find worthwhile and sustainable employment and improve their quality of life. As a charity we aim to be a leader in the welfare to work sector in the UK, offering excellent service and investing any future net gains back into the communities we serve.

At the present time, we are largely funded by the DWP but over time we want to become less dependent on this through more diverse funding as the breadth of our work increases.

Who are your customers and where do you operate?

Our customers are all unemployed and aged from 16 to 64 and are referred to us by Jobcentre Plus and other referral agencies.

Many have been unemployed for six months or more and include people with complex needs such as disabilities and other challenges that may impact on their ability to find employment, for example anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, which may be exacerbated or directly attributable to being out of work.

Our commitment to those referred to us does not stop at the point they gain employment but continues to ensure they sustain employment for years to come.

How many people do you train and how many of those end up employed?

We work to targets set by the DWP of 35-45 per cent of the customers we see finding employment. This allows for the fact that many of our customers have been unemployed for six months or more and may have complex needs such as disabilities and other challenges that may impact on their ability to find employment. Overall, in 2009 we helped over 33,000 people to develop the skills needed to find employment

Of course that is not as high as we would like it to be and we are determined to do more and, in line with our charitable ethos, we are constantly investigating new ideas to strengthen our service and improve on this.

What are your greatest challenges?

The welfare to work sector has evolved considerably in recent years and CDG has done the same. However, with unemployment growing, we can’t afford to be complacent. We need to challenge ourselves to provide the best support we can to the widest number of people, and if necessary look beyond Government for help in funding our work.

The great challenge is worklessness itself and the factors contributing to this such as lack of relevant skills and low self-confidence. We address this by training people with suitable skills (in SIA, retail or hospitality, for example) and supporting them throughout the job-seeking process – and by putting focus on those who have, because of problems such as social or mental health barriers, lost their confidence or been sidelined in the jobs market.

Where's my nearest CDG centre?

Please visit CDG's local offices page to see the locations of each of our centres.

Where does CDG's funding come from?

CDG is primarily funded through contracts with a range of agencies. The majority of funding currently comes from DWP and the remainder from the Skills Funding Agency, European Social Fund and other government sources.

We are looking to diversify our funding base over the next few years. If you are interested in making a donation to our vital work please visit the support CDG page.

Do you fill any of your own vacancies from among your customers?

Yes, we do. All customers are welcome to apply for any role advertised externally. We interview them against the person specification and, as with any job, successful applicants will need to be able to demonstrate their appropriateness for the role and a commitment to our ethos.

We also offer some of our customers work experience within our organisation to help them develop their skills. 

How can I get involved with CDG?

To get involved with CDG please visit the Support Us page.