Education, training and employment forum

St Christopher's service users and staff from our Kensington and Chelsea properties met at the Tabernacle at the end of last month for an education, training and employment forum.

Attendees enjoyed top quality food and music, organised by staff and service users, and benefited from inspirational presentations and a wealth of information about employment opportunities.

First up was Carmen Osbourne from the London Fire Brigade Positive Action Team. She is trying to encourage more women and BME applicants to join the fire service, as these groups are currently under-represented. Carmen talked about her struggles to become a firefighter as a black woman aged 40 and explained that it is possible to become a fire fighter at any age over 17-and-a-half and without any formal qualifications.

She went on to explain how her team runs special open days to give people a taste of what it might be like to be a firefighter.

Sarah Birch then gave tenants valuable information about current volunteering opportunities.  She explained how volunteering is a useful option for people living on income support or JSA, as it allows them to maintain their income while getting valuable work experience and references. 

Olu Faseke from the local Connexions team spoke about the services they offer, including an employment fair in August, featuring employers and training providers, giving information on careers, courses and other opportunities. 

Sarah Barclay, our acting team leader, then explained the new ‘Outcomes Star’ measurement form. St Christopher’s has recently introduced this as a way of measuring supported housing service users' progress during their stay with us.