It’s been just over one year since the coronavirus pandemic led to the first nationwide lockdown. This has had a massive impact on every aspect of our lives, particularly employment.
According to the Office of National Statistics, the unemployment rate in Wales between November 2020 and January 2021 rose to 4.5%, with 16,865 more unemployed people than the year before.
For the last 20 years, PRIME Cymru – a charity set up by HRH The Prince of Wales - has been supporting mature individuals in Wales to find work after periods of unemployment. Their team have been working harder than ever to help people into employment, set up their own business or find volunteering and training positions.
In Powys, their Development Officers and volunteer mentors offer bespoke, one-to-one support to build clients’ confidence, update their CVs, guide you through interviews and offer free courses in First Aid, Health & Safety, Food Hygiene and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.
They have also adapted to current circumstances with a New Ways of Working qualification, which helps people to prepare for online interviews and working from home.
Adam Payne, from Welshpool, suffered with anxiety, which made it difficult for him to find work. PRIME Cymru’s Development Officer for North Powys, Janet Davies, guided him through training and found suitable volunteering positions. As a result, Adam now feels confident enough to apply for paid positions.
He said: “Janet has supported me when I had no one else to turn to. Doing the volunteering has helped build my confidence and it has been a stepping stone towards doing more.”
Janet said: “I really enjoy helping individuals overcome their barriers through training, confidence building and specific one-to-one support. The help we offer gives clients a focus and meaning to their day-to-day activities, which in turn helps them achieve their goals and improve their overall lifestyle.”
If you are looking for work or want to set up your own business, but feel like something is holding you back, PRIME Cymru can support you for free. You can contact them over the phone on 01550 721813 or email [email protected].