£11 million project to provide life coaches for thousands of Londoners

 
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Personal life coaches are to be employed to help thousands of Londoners who have struggled to hold down a job for years to find work.

They will also be offered advice on what to wear, interview techniques and CVs, as well as support to help with health issues, such as mental health problems, confidence and motivation.

Work experience will be offered with “sympathetic” firms as well as “warm-up” sessions with employment trainers before people take on a job over a sustained period.

The £11 million scheme s being launched in central London and aims to help nearly 4,000 people, many of them with mental health challenges, who have left the national Work Programme scheme after two years without finding long-term employment.

Employment minister Esther McVey stressed previously too many of the long-term unemployed had been ignored.

“We are helping to ensure everyone benefits from the improving economy so they can provide a regular wage for themselves and their families,” she added.

“That includes joining forces with specialist services such as mental health provision or specific skills training to help deliver job support tailored to the people of London.”

The pilot project is being seen as a trial on devolving down from central Government more responsibility for helping the jobless.

If successful, it could pave the way to City Hall and town halls taking control of delivering more public services.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who chairs the London Enterprise Panel, said: “London’s economic recovery must benefit the entire city and that means we need to do our utmost to help every Londoner possible to get into work.

“This plan has the potential to do just that and I hope it can help strengthen the case for greater devolution of power to the capital."

Cllr Sarah Hayward, who heads Central London Forward which is leading the scheme, added: “This is a clear step forward in transforming public services in the capital and central London boroughs.”

Case workers helping the long-term jobless will use local town hall, health and voluntary sector services, as well as specialists such as mental health experts.

The scheme will run in Camden, Westminster, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and the City.

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