Croydon Employability & Community Fair praised by local MP
published on 9 Oct 2024
Local Labour MP for Croydon West, Sarah Jones warmly praised the work of The Salvation Army when she attended an Employability and Community Fair hosted by the church and charity recently.
Around 70 jobseekers from Croydon and the surrounding areas came to the free drop-in event at Croydon Citadel to talk to employability experts and start their journey to finding work. The event, organised to mark Employability Day last month, offered employment advice as well as volunteering and training opportunities.
Alongside the Salvation Army’s Employment Plus team, jobseekers had the opportunity to meet representatives from Smart Works (Croydon), London Skills & Development Network, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), and Sutton & District Training amongst other organisations. An interview skills workshop was also held.
Sarah Jones MP said: “The number one issue people come to me for help with is housing and homelessness, but many people in Croydon need help not just finding housing but also accessing work and skills.
"It was great to attend The Salvation Army’s employment drop-in event in Croydon and learn about how their Employment Plus service supports people into work. It was also good to see the other organisations present to raise awareness of the support services available within the community. We are so lucky to have The Salvation Army in Croydon.”
Sam Sorrenti, Salvation Army Employment Plus Assistant Regional Manager for London said:
“It was brilliant to see so many people attend our Employability and Community Fair in Croydon and help them to start their journey to finding work.
“We work with people who are desperate to work but who face the biggest barriers to getting work, such as physical and mental health problems, a lack of education or relevant skills, or unaffordable childcare. If the Government is to reduce economic inactivity and successfully grow the economy, people who are locked out of the job market must get the support they need to join the workforce.
“Holding back on investment in employability support services is a false economy, as other public services will have to pay the price when economic inactivity pushes people into poverty, homelessness, and ill health. We’d like to see long-term funding for local employability services prioritised in the upcoming Budget.
The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service supports people into quality work, not just any job. Employment Plus helps people who face the biggest barriers to employment such as a lack of up to-to date skills, those who have been unable to search for work due to health problems, disability, or homelessness, and has provided employability support to 40,000 people over the last two years.
Deputy Civic Mayor of Croydon, Richard Chatterjee also attended the employment drop-in event and described it as “a real honour and joy to see first-hand some of The Salvation Army's hard work and expertise in action.”
He added: “Experience accrued over more than 160 years in matching jobs with jobseekers is really well applied by the Employment Plus team - a real testimony to the compassion and effectiveness of The Salvation Army.”
A recent report by The Salvation Army, Transforming Lives through Employability, found that on top of the 1.5 million people in the UK who are registered as unemployed, there are a further 1.7 million people who are economically inactive but want to work, making 3.2 million the real unemployment figure. Only people who are registered as unemployed can receive Government funded employability assistance so those who can’t register often have nowhere to turn for help. In Croydon there are 7,100 people who are classed as economically inactive but want a job.
Unemployment-Report-JUNE-2024.pdf (salvationarmy.org.uk)
The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service operates in 120 local communities across the UK, providing a bridge between those furthest from the job market and traditional routes into employment by helping people overcome obstacles to entering the workforce.
