What's Available for Job-seekers?

Many organisations working in Edinburgh help people get ready for work and then find the jobs they need. This website is designed to make clear what is available.

Mainstream and specialist services in Edinburgh

Jobcentre Plus offers a range of services to help people on Jobseekers Allowance and other working age benefits back to work. For further information contact an adviser at your local Jobcentre. A diagram which explains what programmes and support are available for people on Jobseekers Allowance, depending on how long they have been claiming, can be found on the Jobcentre Plus website (http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/stellent/groups/jcp/documents/websitecontent/dev_016298.pdf)

Skills Development Scotland offers a wealth of resources to help plan career choices and guide through employment options.

Alongside these services is a wide range of local, specialist and additional programmes. These build on and supplement what is available from Jobcentre Plus. They are listed on the Directory.

Some of these programmes include vocational skills training; but the Directory, which is for organisations which help people into work, cannot cover all learning and training opportunities. The Learn Direct website can help locate these.

Together these services cover the full spectrum of support from engagement, through employability development, vocational training and jobsearch, to getting and keeping a job.

In addition, job-seekers can need specialist advice about issues like housing, childcare and money advice which they need to sort out in order to be ready to get and keep employment. It is often useful to go to the experts on these matters and we carry some information about who these are.

The Offer to Job-seekers

Clear information to get you to the right service – no wrong doors

The intention of Joined Up For Jobs is that services for job-seekers are clear and accessible. This website aims to set out what is available for whom. We also expect that each organisation providing services can act as a signpost to other services – if they don’t provide what you need they will point you to someone who does.

Assistance for Unemployed Job-seekers

If you need help getting work many organisations offer Employability Development which will include advice, assessment and action planning. If you face more substantial barriers, the support will be in greater depth. Employability Case Management involves consistent support from engagement through to employment.

Joined up for job-seekers – our Customer Charter

We aim to guarantee that all the providers listed in our directory are clear about what they can offer and are able themselves to guarantee a consistently high quality of service to their customers. To do this we have introduced a Customer Charter. Over time all of our providers will undertake this quality assurance test and only those whose service meets the standards required will be awarded charter status and retained as approved providers on the directory of services.