The Salvation Army is hosting an Employability Open Day in Southport on Thursday, June 25, from 10am to 2pm at its centre on Shakespeare Street. The event aims to help jobseekers transform their lives by providing employment advice, training opportunities, volunteering information, and access to live job vacancies.
Exhibitors and Support Services
A range of exhibitors will be present, including Sefton CVS, Liverpool City Region Digital Inclusion Team, Home Energy Advice Team, and Health Watch, offering additional support to attendees. The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service focuses on helping people into quality work, not just any job, particularly those facing significant barriers such as lack of up-to-date skills, caring responsibilities, health problems, disability, or homelessness.
Expert Commentary on Barriers to Employment
Peter Maybury, Salvation Army Employment Plus manager for the North West, said: "The Salvation Army works with many people who are desperate to work but have the greatest barriers to finding and keeping work. People will often come to us because there is no other support available to them, and some need all kinds of other support before they are ready to apply for a job."
He added: "Our Employment Plus service aims to transform people’s lives, offering specialist, person-centred support that has a meaningful and lasting impact on our clients, giving them the confidence and skills to get on in life."
Event Details and Invitation
Maybury said: "Our event on Thursday, June 25 is an opportunity for job seekers, particularly those who have been out of the labour market for some time, in and around Southport to drop-in and find out how we can help them on a journey to meaningful employment. We also invite local business leaders, local agencies, and politicians to drop in and talk to us about the value of working alongside employability services like Employment Plus. By working in partnership together we can offer holistic support to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, helping those furthest from the workplace into meaningful employment, and having a positive impact on the local economy."
Broader Context and Unemployment Statistics
Southport is one of several Salvation Army employability events taking place across the UK this month. Many Employment Plus services are concerned about fewer entry-level opportunities and longer job queues, leaving many people who are not 'job ready' behind. Official unemployment figures may not show the full picture, with many people not qualifying for help from Job Centre Plus and not knowing where to turn.
Salvation Army analysis of the Annual Population Survey found that the Liverpool Travel to Work Area, covering Southport, has a real unemployment rate of 10.1%, compared to 9.3% across the North West. Around 54,000 people are in real unemployment in the area. Some 31,000 people are claiming unemployment-related benefits, suggesting that about 22,000 people (41.3% of those in real unemployment) may not be receiving this support.
Impact of Employment Plus
In the past 12 months, Employment Plus has fully supported 5,279 people across the UK and Ireland, completing 13,977 milestones such as building a CV, completing training, or work experience. Of these, 1,137 gained employment. An additional 2,576 people received a single intervention, such as a training session or signposting to a foodbank, housing, or social services. The service operates from 327 Salvation Army churches, centres, and hostels, as well as 230 other locations including Job Centre Plus and 13 prisons.
Contact Information
For more information about the Southport Employability Day event, contact The Salvation Army on 07469 659 213 or email emma.smerdon@salvationarmy.org.uk. The event is free and open to all jobseekers in the Southport area.
