Tuesday 20 November 2012





Roe Valley Education Forum Changes Lives By Changing Minds

Are you unemployed, been made redundant or are a full-time ‘home-maker’? Would you like to get back into work, gain valuable work experience, achieve national qualifications in English, Maths, ICT, Customer Services, Business Administration and Retail and get support with travelling and childcare costs?  Roe Valley Education Forum can help you each step of the way to fulfilling your career ambitions.

Since 2008, Roe Valley Education Forum has successfully delivered the Department for Learning and Employment’s ‘Steps To Work’ programme across Limavady Borough.  Whilst many participants are ‘mandated’ onto the   programme through the Jobs & Benefits Office, an increasing number of residents who are unemployed, been made redundant or are a full-time parent/carer are now volunteering onto Steps To Works.

The ‘Steps to Work’ 26 week ‘Training’ option offers all participants six months of valuable work experience with a local business and an opportunity to gain either essential skill qualifications in English, Maths or ICT, or one of the alternative training courses to All participants will benefit from £15.38/week for volunteering onto the programme. Essential Skills is delivered at the Roemill Road Premises of RVEF while other course options are delivered at the training facility in the town centre. 

Roe Valley Education Forum’s team strives to find relevant work placements for all participants on Steps to Work, however ‘clients’ are encouraged to identify their own placement. The continued economic downturn has seen more businesses from across Limavady Borough, offer the 26 work placements.  While businesses benefit from free staff, programme participants gain valuable work experience and ‘on-the-ground- training’ with the business over the 6 month period. 

Diane Rathfield, General Manager for Roe Valley Education Forum said: “By volunteering onto the Steps to Work programme, participants can gain qualifications AND valuable work experience.  Limavady Borough has been hit exceptionally hard during this continuing recession, and Steps to Work has offered the unemployed and economically inactive a ‘lifeline’ into sustainable employment.  RVEF has seen a considerable increase in the number of businesses offering placements and it is the 26 week training option, which offers the greatest appeal – providing businesses with time to train and develop participants on the programme.”

If unemployed or economically inactive residents would like to find out more about The Steps To Work programme, or if local businesses would like to partner with RVEF in offering work placements, please call RVEF on 777 68094 or visit the website www.roevalleyeducationforum.org for further details.