North East Employment Plus worker wins national award

A Salvation Army Employment Development Co-ordinator has been named ‘learner of the year’ at an awards ceremony recognising employability best practice. 

Susan Park, who leads the church and charity’s Employment Plus Service in the North East, which supports people find and stay in work, was named Employability Practitioner Learner of the Year at the national Institute for Employability Professionals (IEP) awards ceremony held in Birmingham last month. 

The Institute for Employability Professionals (IEP) is dedicated to advancing the standards, quality and professionalisation of employability practice around the world, with the awards celebrating those who have qualified through IEP Learning. 

Sue, who completed her Certificate in Employability Practice with the IEP last year, said: “I got an email out of the blue saying that I was a finalist, so I felt very honoured that someone nominated me. It was a bit of a shock to be named winner as there are 11,000 practitioners in the country. 

“We had a lovely awards ceremony at the IEP Base Camp in the Millenium Building in Birmingham and that was a great opportunity to network, to meet other companies doing similar work, to share ideas and to promote the work The Salvation Army is doing within Employability. 

“It’s always nice to have your work recognised. I’m the only Employment Development Co-ordinator in the North East at the moment so I work alone a lot. I do end up with a bit of self-doubt, so this just ratified for me that I’m doing a good job in putting into practice what I’ve been learning through the IEP.” 

Peter Maybury, Regional Manager for The Salvation Army’s Employment Service, said: “This award is recognition of the work that Sue does to support the local communities in Sunderland, South Shields and Newcastle. It is also a measure of how well The Salvation Army Employment Plus division is respected and valued within the employability industry. 

“All of our Employment Development Coordinators complete the Level 3 Certificate in Employability Practice, delivered by The IEP. They apply this learning each day while supporting their caseload and this leads to lives truly transformed.” 

Employment Plus, which is available at Salvation Army churches across Sunderland, in Newcastle and South Shields, provides tailored employability support which includes help to overcome or manage barriers, help writing CVs, job applications, training opportunities and confidence building. It also supports people to access benefits they are entitled to and to improve their digital skills. 

The one-to-one sessions are available to anyone who is struggling to find work. Referrals can be made through agencies such as Citizen’s Advice and the Job Centre.