Guests gathered at Bournemouth & Poole College to celebrate the success that the Links to Work Programme has had since it began in 2016.
The programme which is run in partnership with Working Links and funded by the European Social Fund, aims to support long term unemployed Bournemouth and Poole residents to find employment within a year.
Based at the college a team of employment consultants works with individuals to build confidence, develop job search and interview skills and offer support to overcome barriers to securing employment.
Since its launch at the college in 2016, the programme has already achieved 32 job starts and staff are supporting 176 customers which is continuing to grow.
Richard Bracken is one of the customers who accessed the service and is now in full-time employment. He said “my employment consultant at Links to Work was absolutely brilliant; approachable, friendly and totally professional. Without her I would not be working. She went the extra mile and I'll always be grateful.”
Guests at the celebration event heard presentations from the Links to Work Team. Customers who have successfully re-entered employment also attended and spoke about their experiences of their journey back into work.
