'Working it out' is a training programme for unemployed Londoners whose disability or mental ill health acts as a barrier to employment. It is a work shadowing programme designed for people who really want to enter paid employment but who find it hard to access training and employment opportunities and who need support to develop the necessary skills.
Gardening in small groups of 8-10, participants receive 1 on 1 support from a Thrive horticultural therapist to create a personal development programme addressing their particular support needs and designed to help them overcome their barriers to employment. They will also work towards a City & Guilds horticulture qualification, have access to a work experience placement with an employer, develop an understanding of the work place and gain the employment skills they need to hold down a job.
Thrive provides all the necessary work wear, teaching and learning materials, access to computers and will provide support for people wanting to progress to further training or to job search including a database of potential employers and employment opportunities.
'Working it Out’ offers people the flexibility to work and develop at their own pace. Participants attend the programme one day each week between 9.30 and 3pm for a period of anything between 6 months to 2 years, dependent upon their abilities, skills and support needs.
People who attend the Working it out training programme also receive a monthly newletter with job advice, gardening tips and short interviews with gardeners and therapists.
Working it Out also offers work placements to all gardeners taking part in the programme. We are currently offering the opportunity to be a part of the renovations team at Fulham Palace Gardens and Battersea Parks' Old English Garden. There are also opportunities to complete a work placement at Chiswick House.
Employment advice is also offered as part of the WiO training. This includes group workshops that cover interview skills and techniques, CV surgeries, confidence building and effective job searching methods. There is also the chance to have one to one sessions that can be used for creating/re-writing your CV, mock interviews or career planning.
For more information on our Working it Out programme please
email us or call on 020 7720 2212