How volunteers can help support people back into work

• Aims for the Expert Volunteer Initiative and the role of the working group

• How volunteers have supported the long term unemployed - examples of work that SOVA has done under previous contracts

• Looking forward - how volunteers can support customers under Work Programme

This seminar session will look at:

• One of only two charities to be named as a prime

provider for Work Programme

• We reinvest our surplus into the community

• Utilise technology – e.kwip.me

• Focused on improving our service to customers –

Expert Volunteer Initiative

CDG and our approach

• Launched as part of CDG’s charitable and public benefit in 2010

• Targets those hardest to help who remain out of work whatever the economic cycle or government programme

• Aims to tap into the skills and expertise of people who have the desire and capacity to help support the long term unemployed

Expert Volunteer Initiative

• Co-ordinated approach

• National scheme aims to sign up 50,000

volunteers across the UK to support the long

term unemployed back into work

• Cross sector working group

Expert Volunteer Initiative across the UK

• Independent volunteer chair

• The Call for nominations

• Range of sectors, experience and networks

• CDG provides secretariat support

How the working group has evolved

• Learning from what is already in place

• Developing a framework

• Seeking organisations to pilot the framework

• Evaluating the effectiveness of volunteer support in welfare to work

Aims for the working group

• Skilled volunteers to provide additional support for jobseekers of the Work Programme

• Support jobseekers at different stages of jobseeker journey

• Sharing skills and experience from their own careers

• In-work support through mentoring

CDG Volunteers and their role in the Work Programme

Contact the working group via volunteers@cdguk.org if you are interested in:

•Learning more about CDG Volunteers

•Contributing to the framework

•Being a pilot site

•Sponsoring the initiative in your area

How to get involved

Questions