Developing a Pathway to Employment for Roma Stephen Brooks, Glasgow Development Agency & Andy McArthur, Social Marketing Gateway

Raising Roma Employability Number of ingredients and projects Working together to provide a mix of activities: reach out to Roma engage and support them move them into an employability pathway use opportunities for local environmental improvements Roma one of a number of ethnic minority groups 5-staged process – from exclusion to inclusion

5-staged Pathway to Sustained Employment Govanhill Employability Project Engagement and Assessment Action Planning and basic skill development Specific general skill development Intensive job search Retention and Progression Sustained Employment Environmental Improvement Training Project Roma Engagement Project

Engagement and Assessment A key stage if Roma are to be reached Work with community bodies to engage Roma e.g. Crossroads, Housing Association, Law Centre Additional project strengthening engagement with Roma (Roma Engagement Project) Multi-disciplinary team from local community bodies, providing range of support to help stabilise lives Move Roma into employability pathway and link with other services (e.g. health & social provision)

Action Planning and Basic Skill Development Every person has a ‘case manger’ Looking at barriers to employment, how to access training and skill development Building confidence and self esteem Dealing with debt and money advice Supporting language communication skills using peer support and volunteers, and professional interpreters/translators

Specific and General Skill Development Providing 13 weeks paid work on local environmental improvements Environmental Improvement Training Project – the Backcourt Project Also supporting people with limited English language skills to access training Helping secure industry standard entry-level qualifications Construction, security, food preparation

Intensive Job Search Focused on those ‘closer to the labour market’ Employability advisors for people engaged in 13 week environmental work Job Club, guidance advisor and range of job search support Support from community bodies with language and cultural issues Link people with jobs from GRA register

Retention and Progression Helping people ‘stay in’ work Aftercare and progression support services People securing employment allocated case manager Support them develop an in-work action plan Deal with issues that threaten remaining in a job Support to develop learning and training plan

Ingredients of Success? Not one agency - Not single programme Everyone working together – real partnership Key role for community bodies in touch with Roma Community bodies integrating with agencies ‘Intermediary’ work from local opportunities Recognise need to ‘stabilise lives’ as first step

Contact details Stephen Brooks, Glasgow Regeneration Agency, Glenwood Business Centre,  Castlemilk, Glasgow, G45 9UH Stephen.brooks@grasoutheast.co.uk  Dr Andy McArthur, Managing Director, The Social Marketing Gateway, Ingram House, 227 Ingram Street, Glasgow G11DA andy@smgateway.co.uk Tel: 00 (4) 141 221 2226 M: 00 (4) 797 051 2249