Cricket champs helping those hit for six by unemployment

Cricket champs helping those hit for six by unemployment

County cricket champions Lancashire are helping Manchester people who may have been hit for six by their unemployment ordeal.

The club is building a successful partnership with Jobcentre Plus and training experts Pertemps Coachright in a sports-related motivational initiative to break down boundaries preventing people securing new jobs.

The Hat Trick programme consists of bespoke sports related activities combined with employability skills, and personal and social development skills.

It will provide each participant with a schedule of 20 weeks of enhanced support and motivational training. This will include a refresher event and an aftercare service providing follow-up job search support sessions and mentoring activities.??

The first Hat Trick programme is being held at Old Trafford, the home of the champions Lancashire County Cricket Club. Brad said: “It’s fantastic to be working alongside Lancashire County Cricket Club and Jobcentre Plus in this inspirational initiaive.

“The initial Coachright interventon of a two-week sports-based programme is motivating up to 17 local people. The morning personal development sessions are followed by practical sports activity that identifies transferable skills that are used in the workplace, whether it be working in a team or alone.

“Coachright is in the process of planning a further three programmes in the area between now and March 2012 and will be seeking to secure similar high profile venues  to host the future interventions,” said Pertemps Coachright director Brad Russell.

Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes said: ““We are delighted to be working alongside Coachright and Jobcentre Plus with this initiative as unemployment is an issue affecting many families in this current economic climate and in particular our local community around Old Trafford. I hope that learning new skills in a different environment has benefited all of those who have attended the programme.”

Jobcentre Plus district manager Phil Lowthian said: “Jobcentre Plus recognises sport as a great way to engage with people, and we're pleased to be working with Pertemps on this innovative programme to support local jobseekers in their search for work."

Pertemps Coachright, a division of Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG),  delivers community and training programmes which meet the objectives of central and local government policies, using sport, leisure and arts activities to enthuse and educate children, young people and adults.

It manages a variety of projects and contracts designed to engage, motivate and develop disadvantaged and socially marginalised people. The services they deliver have proven to be an invaluable key to opening the door to sustainable employment and occupational living, giving people real opportunities to change their lives.?

More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by PPDG.  It has also trained over 130,000 people in vocational skills, and more than 175,000 have benefited from professional information, advice and guidance.

PPDG’s team of employment experts provides advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation as well as finding the right job or training course. In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives and many programmes financed by the European Social Fund. PPDG came fourth in The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2011.