Next Step provides information and advice to support adults in making appropriate decisions on a full range of learning and work opportunities. It is free to all adults in England and can be accessed by phone, by the Next Step website and through face to face meetings with careers advisors.
Case study
Suzanne is 46 and lives with her husband and two daughters aged 5 and 7. After her husband was left unable to work following an accident at work, Suzanne considered whether she should go to work as the main breadwinner while her husband focused on the childcare. She had been doing some voluntary work at her children’s school and was keen to pursue a career along these lines but was not sure how to go about it.
Suzanne’s local Jobcentre Plus put her in contact with Next Step where she met her adviser, Juliet. Juliet reviewed Suzanne’s CV and discussed her ambition to become a Teaching Assistant and showed Suzanne that she could achieve it. Suzanne also learned that with her experience, she would be able to go straight to the NVQ Level 2 Teaching Assistant Course. Juliet also provided Suzanne with encouraging feedback on her essay assignment to get onto the course.
Suzanne is currently on the NVQ level 2 Course and as well as the voluntary work, is also getting paid for some of her Teaching Assistant work. She is due to complete the NVQ in July 2010 and hopes to work full time after this.
Juliet really gave me confidence to believe that I could achieve this and steered me in the right direction. I really can’t thank her enough.”
Suzanne
Provision of the face-to-face service is divided across England through ten regions, of which BabcockEnterprise is involved with four. In the South East of England, we are the Prime Contractor for Next Step, and have delivered 65,000 universal services, 43,000 enhanced services and approximately 10,500 outcomes over the last year. In Yorkshire and Humberside we are part of the consortium that operates the prime contract, whilst in London and East of England we act as subcontractors to Prospects and Suffolk County Council respectively.
Through extensive partnership networks, these contracts provide information and advice for adults across the regions to progress them into employment, education or training. We are proud that 89% of customers have entered work or learning, which is greater than the targets placed on us by the contracts.
For more information, visit nextstep.direct.gov.uk> (opens in new window).