Major new employment support programme for Reading residents sees first fruits of success

22nd November 2023

Over 350 Reading residents, including Afghan women refugees and newly arrived Hong Kong residents, have been supported in the search for work this year thanks to a new Outreach to the Community pilot scheme launched this year by REDA, Reading’s Economic Development Company, as part of its work to ensure that the Reading population has access to skills and training to enter the job market.

The scheme is one of a number of Employment and Skills (ESP) projects that REDA has funded and organised in 2023 which have provided employment and training opportunities for over 4000 people locally, including careers events in local schools, job fairs, apprenticeships, access to the construction industry, self- employment courses, small business grants and an access to the film industry event.   

366 people attended the Outreach to the Community events in Whitley, Cemetery Junction, Calcot, Caversham and Tilehurst as well as the town centre at Broad Street Mall. Funded by S106 Employment and Skills Funds, these courses signposted participants to welfare support, provided employment advice, signposted basic skills training and offered a sign up to further self-employment options. The latter was run by the Reading Abbey Rotary Club under its Launch Reading scheme, with support from REDA. The first 10-week startup course provided training and business mentors and access to start-up grants of up to £1000 from Reading’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF). Nine new businesses were established as a result and a further 19 people have started the second course.

Funded by Section 106 contributions from new developments as well as training opportunities with contractors, these upskilling, retraining and self-employment ESP programmes are powerful tools to help people improve their job prospects, earn additional income and find quality work in a jobs market that is desperate to recruit skilled people. ESP programmes will find routes into employment by matching local people to local job and enterprise opportunities created by new commercial developments in the town. Reading Borough Council’s planning policy¹ obliges developers to work with REDA to produce an ESP to support local employment.  This can either be in the form of direct work opportunities as part of the development or a financial contribution towards the delivery of training and employment programmes.

Sue Brackley, Economic Development Manager, REDA said: “These free events and activities make sure everyone in our community has the chance to get into better quality, better paid and more secure work. The employment and skills programme helps REDA deliver against its mission to create a more inclusive economy in the town.

“With a fast-moving economy, next year we will be investing £100,000 of UK Government Shared Prosperity Funds in film screen training to tap into the major studio developments in Reading as well as small business start-up grants and training. An additional £160k of SPF funding will support even more small businesses to get started locally.”

Cllr Jason Brock, Leader of Reading Borough Council, said: “The Employment and Skills projects are proving to be an excellent and effective way of providing employment and training options to Reading residents who need extra support.

“Reading is a thriving town with many new developments under way and more major building projects in the pipeline. This scheme helps to ensure that all communities in Reading can benefit from this investment into the town and provides an opportunity to those residents who may struggle to break into the job market.”

Other ESP highlights in 2023:-

• REDA and DWP Job Centre Plus have celebrated the 10^th anniversary of their successful Job Fest programme this year which has brought live jobs, training opportunities and employment support to an estimated 14,000 local job seekers in that time, supported by over 800 employers and training providers. In 2023, the two Job Fests have seen over 1000 job seeking attendees have the opportunity to meet 100 employers and trainers.
• The ESP has provided careers support in schools including Reading Girls, JMA, Blessed Hugh Farringdon, Maiden Erlegh Reading, Highdown and The Wren with over 2000 pupils receiving access to careers information so far this academic year.
• 452 construction jobs were created as a result of nine ESPs with developers in Reading including 25 apprentices.
• Reading Business Network – REDA funded the monthly online business network events throughout the year which included a film screen procurement event at the Hilton, which attracted 120 people.

While Reading typically enjoys high employment levels and one of the highest levels of productivity in the UK, it also has areas of deprivation and residents who struggle to break into the job market.  This employment picture is being further complicated due to the impacts of the cost of living.

The ESP programmes specifically target people who have been identified as facing barriers to accessing the job market – those with supported employment needs, the longer term unemployed, over 50s and single parents. In the future it will also include work to develop “Green Skills” and more jobs in the creative industries – working to future proof our jobs market and create more opportunities for all.

This level of support has been achieved by excellent partnership working with the planning authority - Reading Borough Council - the private sector and community partners such as DWP JobCentre, New Directions, Activate Learning, Reading Business Network, University of Reading and local schools such as JMA and Blessed Hugh Farringdon, among others.

¹Reading Borough Council adopted the requirement for Employment and Skills Plans (ESP) under a 2013 supplementary planning document that seeks to implement adopted (2008) core strategy policies cs9: infrastructure, services, resources and amenities, and cs13: impact of employment development.  The drafting of the SPD relied on detailed discussion between Reading UK and the borough council planning service, with REDA being identified as the main agent for implementing the policy. The aims of the ESP requirement as part of a planning permission have been clearly defined in working with employers to improve the work and training opportunities of local people.

An ESP requirement is attached to any new development or any regeneration or extension where more than 1000 sqm of new non-residential space or 10 dwellings are being created.