How we help

Employment Plus operates in over 650 locations: in churches, community centres and Lifehouses within The Salvation Army.

We work alongside jobseekers to understand their needs and goals, and tailor our service to fit the needs of each individual. We also provide training opportunities to support them in moving into work.

Our Employability Practitioners thoroughly assess each jobseeker taking part in our programmes. We’re not just interested in employment history: we also want to understand their personalities, experiences and goals in life.

Participants benefit from one-to-one support and group workshops from our Employability Practitioners. This enables us to better understand the person’s whole character and guide them to the resources and training opportunities that best fit their needs.

Participants are empowered to overcome obstacles they face, whether that is building up self-esteem, overcoming health issues, or facing their addictions.

Barriers jobseekers face can be as simple as needing to improve communication skills, learning how to email or improving language proficiency.

They could also include issues with transportation, health, or more complex barriers. We seek to understand each individual’s situation, and help them overcome these issues so they can move into sustained employment.

What does Employment Plus do to help and what has it achieved so far?

We offer guidance with benefit queries and support to identify and overcome barriers to work.

We focus equal attention on wrap-around support services, soft skills and direct delivery of training services.

• We are one of the top 10 UK charities.
• We have 145 years of experience working with the most vulnerable and socially excluded.
• Bidding for and securing funding to establish employability programmes across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
• Providing specialist advice and support to other departments, divisions, corps and centres

We are working with partners to deliver Employability programmes like the Work and Health Programme and other employability services within the community.

We work with local government to provide bespoke employability schemes within the communities with the most need.

We offer support with employability skills to help people become job-ready; to get a job and to stay in work and we do so as a locally based organisation operating from more than 650 locations.

As such we deliver employability contracts and community outreach in our Employment Plus locals. We help people furthest from employment through their journey by offering a listening ear and supporting people with complex needs where possible.

How we help

Work Placements

We offer short-term work-experience placements, which are arranged at a local level. This includes working with local Job Centres and welfare to work providers. 

Participants gain work experience, a recent reference and improved self-confidence, all while helping their local community. No placements are in place of paid work and we trust our local representatives to provide valuable support.

The Salvation Army Employment Plus (TSAEP) provides referrals and In-Work Support (IWS) for our participants to carry out work experience in the Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCOL) shops. Work experience is provided for a limited time only, with timescale options of 8, 12 or 16 weeks.

Digital Inclusion

We also offer support around digital inclusion. Digital skills are increasingly important in finding employment and using e-services.

There is increasing recognition that digital inclusion means not only having physical access to the internet, but also having the necessary skills, confidence and capabilities to use the internet.

It is challenging and isolating living without the benefits of the internet, yet this is the reality for one in five UK adults.

Tailored support from qualified Employability Specialists

• Developing and running social enterprises 
• Learning progressions and qualifications
• Tailored support to help people become job-ready, get a job, and stay in work. This includes training courses and addressing problems such as self-esteem, confidence building and motivation.

Employment Plus Locals

Becoming part of a community where you are building your confidence, skills, and discovering new things about yourself - these are some of the positive benefits we've seen people gain from being in work, volunteering or taking part in a work-experience placement through the help of The Salvation Army. Find out more.