Crucial advice service extended in Burton

Adults in Burton on Trent have been given a timely boost in their search for more skills and better jobs with news that a crucial initiative has again been extended.

nextstep, the impartial advice service on learning and work has been delivering advice and guidance on jobs, skills and training to the over 20s across Staffordshire since 2004. Now it has had its contract extended until August 2008 with no fewer than 19 organisations helping to deliver the service across the county.

Last year in Burton on Trent nextstep exceeded its target of delivering over 850 advice sessions to adults in the town and the contract extension means that it will deliver a further 1,200 advice sessions in a bid to boost careers and enhance people’s quality of life.

Steve Lovatt, Business Manager from Connexions Staffordshire, who deliver the nextstep service for the LSC, said: “This is fantastic news for the area and testimony to the hard work of everyone at nextstep, including our partners and advisers who travel all over the county to deliver the service.”

He added: “The announcement falls in line with the government’s new five-year Skills Campaign, ‘Our future. It’s in our hands’ which looks to improve the skills of adults so they can access better jobs and employers can find the increased skilled workforce they need to grow.”

Since its inception, nextstep has delivered more than 30,000 advice sessions across the county, helping adults improve their employment prospects by finding suitable courses and training, giving advice on job search and interview techniques and offering help with completing job applications among other services. It can even provide information on financial grants that might be available to help people embrace learning opportunities.

Primarily targeted at people with few qualifications, nextstep offers face to face consultations with people in their own towns. It can also help adults to improve their self-confidence and help them get back into employment after a career break, illness or redundancy.

For further information call the free Helpline on 0800 2980234 or visit www.nextstepstaffs.org.uk

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