Bridgend County Borough Council’s Employability Bridgend team have officially opened a new support hub for job seekers in Maesteg town centre.
The Employability programme which is funded by Welsh Government and the European Social Fund is designed to overcome the employment challenges faced by people in local communities.
Since 2016, Employability Bridgend has supported over five thousand individuals, including 740 young people.
1,800 received training, 360 were supported into volunteering and 1,740 into employment. Also, 160 people who were already in work were supported to get a better employment position.
The hub, which is located at Tŷ Llynfi, Llynfi Road, Maesteg, will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30am to 3:30pm, offering a range of resources, which will assist people in all aspects of finding employment.
The hub is equipped with a training room for courses, a job club and access to the internet to support people in their search for employment. There are also smaller meeting rooms available which can host individual appointments with dedicated mentors, who will help to plan a person’s employment journey.
The Employability programme is aimed at those aged over 16, who:
- are unemployed
- need more hours
- need a second or new job
The programme sources vocational qualifications, volunteering opportunities, as well as providing the opportunity to develop personal qualities, such as confidence.
There is also a triage service available, matching individuals with the right help as quickly as possible.
There are also links to a wide variety of other support networks such as job centres, Baobab Bach (Community Pantries), Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB), Cyfle Cymru, as well as Maesteg and Bridgend Colleges.
Our Employability Bridgend team have an excellent track record of providing help and support to people either starting out on their employment journey or looking to get back into work.
This new hub will benefit the people of Maesteg by ensuring that they can easily access Employability Bridgend’s services. Individuals can now drop-in and speak to a member of the team who can assist with information on current vacancies, including within the local authority, plus advice on training and support opportunities, volunteering positions and much more.
This is the first of three new hubs to be opened in the county borough, with similar hubs due to be opened in Bridgend and Porthcawl shortly.
Councillor Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Regeneration
