Employability and Volunteering

Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme that aims to help more disabled people start or stay in work. It can provide practical and financial support if you have a disability or long term physical or mental health condition.

An Access to Work grant can pay for practical support to help you:

• start working
• stay in work
• move into self-employment or start a business

The grant is not for business start-up costs.  How much you get depends on your circumstances. The money does not have to be paid back and will not affect your other benefits.

You can apply by calling the Access to Work helpline:
Telephone: 0800 121 7479
Textphone: 0800 121 7579
Website: www.gov.uk/access-to-work

Local employability providers offer customers free advice, guidance and training opportunities when supporting you to find work.

This can include one-to-one support from a dedicated staff member, introductions to employers, training and qualifications for a specific employer or sector, work experience, developing a CV, support with online job applications, support to prepare for an interview, specialist support to manage health conditions, specialist advice on matters such as money, benefits and debt.

Please browse the additional information provided by our employability providers to find the support most suitable for your needs. Some of our employability support is tailored for specific customers – for example, if you are a young person, a parent, or someone with a particular concern about finding work.

Website: www.discoverworkdundee.co.uk

This service helps people with disabilities, health problems and other significant barriers to find and sustain employment.

Services available:

• Job Club to assist service users to look for employment
• Work Experience Placements to enable service users to develop their skills
• Support Team providing on-going support to people with significant barriers to employment
• Consultancy and Advisory Service to local employers, voluntary organisations and people who have disabilities and health problems regarding good employment practice
• Advice and guidance to people with disabilities and health problems who are currently in employment

Address: Employment Unit, Social Work Department, Dunsinane Ave, Dundee DD2 3QN
Tel: 01382 436 377
Website: www.dundeecity.gov.uk

Enable Works serves people who are facing barriers to employment to obtain and sustain high quality and rewarding careers.  They provide a variety of work programmes, training and resources to help jobseekers with learning diabilities.

Website: www.enable.org.uk/enable-works
Facebook: www.facebook.com/allindundee

We want to help minimise the impact for people and businesses facing redundancy and offer free advice and support.

• For employers this means support for businesses of any size, no matter how many employees are involved. It’s free of charge, and helps take away some of the strain of dealing with redundancy. 
• For employees it means free, impartial advice on dealing with the practical and emotional sides of redundancy. PACE advisers help people recognise their skills, explore their options and prepare for their next move. 
• And because PACE supports companies across Scotland, the partnership can often connect businesses looking to hire new people with those making redundancies.

• PACE plays a vital role, supporting people through what can be one of the most stressful periods of their working lives.

Website: www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

Get free support to develop the skills and confidence you need to find a job or start a business. 

Tel: 0800 843 843
Website: www.princes-trust.org.uk
Age: 16 to 30 years

They aim to give people a route to employment through skills based training workshops in different locations across Dundee and Arbroath.  They work with people who are on the recovery journey from drug and alcohol addiction, and other connect issues such as criminal conviction, PTSD/combat stress.

Address: City Church, 8-12 Tullideph Road, Dundee, DD2 2PN
Email: contact@thereconnectionproject.org.uk
Website: www.thereconnectionproject.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thereconnectionprojectdundee

They will support young people back in to training or employment, provide information and support to complete CVs, apply for jobs and training applications.

Address: Royal Exchange Building, Panmure Street, Dundee, DD1 1DU
Tel: 01382 318600
Website: www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

Volunteering can be a good way to develop new skills, make new friends and help to feel less isolated, improve your mental health, improve your confidence and sense of belonging and form meaningful connections with people around you.

There are lots of volunteering opportunities across Dundee, look at the following websites to find opportunities.

www.dvva.scot/volunteering
www.leisureandculturedundee.com
www.nhstayside.nhs.uk