Brand new concept in welfare to work training opens in Croydon

With a sharp rise in the number of people claiming jobseekers’ allowance announced by the Government this week, a brand new concept in welfare to work training has been launched in Croydon this month by CDG

With the next phase of Flexible New Deal and a general election just around the corner, Lord David Freud, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, visited the CDG centre on 11 February to see for himself the benefits of the new approach to unemployment being adopted in Croydon, one of the London boroughs most affected by the recent economic downturn.

He told an audience of local business leaders and job seekers about the challenges and opportunities facing the welfare to work sector, both in the short and long term.

“I am really excited to see what CDG is doing here in Croydon.  Combining education and skills with work and employability is a real emphasis for the Conservatives and we need a radically new industry that can assess and take financial risk as well as being effective at contracting.  We will introduce differential pricing to reflect the differing costs and times involved in reactivating unemployed candidates. This will open up opportunities for organisations like CDG and others in the third sector who specialise in placing candidates with specific barriers to employment, or who help the hard to reach secure jobs. 

"I encourage CDG to be one of the successful players in this, and I look forward to it going from strength to strength.”

Based in the centre of Croydon, the CDG learning facility is bright, modern and relaxed, with dedicated training rooms crammed with high-tech visual learning aids including smart boards, a bank of internet connected laptops for job searching and access to the highest quality education and training provision that will benefit customers and the local business community.

Roy O’Shaughnessy, chief executive of CDG, said: “Our reason for choosing Croydon is that it was one of the London boroughs worst affected by the economic downturn. As a result we placed great emphasis on our work in the area throughout 2009. The opening of this extended centre is a demonstration of our commitment to be at the forefront of Croydon’s recovery in 2010.”

He continued: “Our intention is to provide our customers with a learning environment to encourage them to make the most of the services we offer, see their time with us as an investment for the future and move on into successful jobs. With centres spread across the Midlands and South East, we supported over 26,000 customers on their journey towards sustainable employment in 2009 alone. And we have drawn on this experience to develop what we believe will be the best possible environment.

"The facilities at Croydon are bang up to date and it doesn’t stop there because following the trial at Croydon, we plan to introduce the approach at other centres throughout the coming year.”

The Office of National Statistics shows Croydon’s unemployment rate as peaking at 4.5% in September 2009 with 9,694 people claiming benefits in the borough overall. Between April and December last year, 1,294 customers completed training programs with CDG in Croydon, arming themselves with new skills and the confidence to re-enter work.

During the unemployment peak in September 2009, over a quarter of customers who completed training with CDG found employment. CDG also achieved a four fold increase of placements over the course of 2009, laying the groundwork for even greater success in 2010.

Jamie Tebboth, who completed a training course at CDG last year, said: “A week after I started my course at CDG, the work placement officer arranged for me to go to The Vine Project charity. I have now been working here for five months in a permanent role as Volunteer Support Worker.

"I am really grateful to CDG for giving me the help and support I needed to get back to work and it’s great to see how the new facilities are going to benefit other people in the area.”

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