Jedi’s cut through jargon for job seekers to launch new employability support finder

New 'employability pathway' support finder launched 

A new no-fuss employability guide, created by job seekers for job seekers, has been launched online today (Thursday 29 August). 

It was created by Orkney’s Jedi Council - a group of local people with experiences of job seeking and local employability support services. 

The self named Jedi Council are a ‘good force’ working to challenge ‘darker forces’, drawing on their experiences to help 'slay’ barriers to work and skills development  for local people. 

The Jedi Council’s new ‘Employability Pathway’ aims to fulfil one objective - to make it simple for everyone to see what help is available and how to get it.  

Available at www.olep.org, the resource sets out the support options available locally – from job application assistance, job matching, CV writing, and interview preparation, to in-work support, volunteering, mental health support, training and work experience opportunities, and mental health support – and much more in between. 

Folks can also click on the many organisations working on employability and skills development in Orkney and peruse what they have to offer. 

Jedi councillor Nikki Flett said: “We worked really hard to create a resource that’s easy for people to use, no matter where they are in their learning and employability life. 

“It’s so exciting to see this a reality now and we’re very grateful to the Local Employability Partnership for helping make it happen.” 

Fellow Jedi councillor Jeepstar Clewett said: “The Jedi Council is made up from different people who have had different experiences when looking for work. We have experience of some of the challenges people can face and have worked with some of the organisations in Orkney who can help.

"We know that it can be stressful when you are looking for work or training – we hope this new website will make it a little bit easier for folk.” 

Kerry Spence is Chair of the Local Employability Partnership  - a collaboration of partners working to deliver a more streamlined employability provision locally – and also leads on community development and learning at Orkney Islands Council.

She’s hugely proud of the new resource and how it came about: “As a Partnership we have formal strategies in place that we work to – but the Jedi Council wanted to provide a jargon-free, no fuss guide for anyone in the community looking for support to get a job or improve their skills.

"As Service Manager of Community Learning and Development and Employability at Orkney Islands Council, I was proud to see our employability team link up with the Jedi Council to bring it to fruition. We hope it will help highlight and open up opportunities for everyone building their skills and employability in Orkney.”

Lindsey Johnson is the Council’s Employability Team Manager, and supported the Jedi Council to progress their idea, with the help of local consultancy The Strategy Collective. She also leads on inclusivity work within the Local Employability Partnership: 

“Supporting people, especially those with challenges, into fair and sustainable employment is so important when it comes to an inclusive Orkney with equality and wellbeing at its core.

“It helps create a sustainable local economy, bringing more people with more perspectives into the local workforce. 

“The Jedi Council were determined to put job seekers and those looking for skills development support at the heart of this project. We hope everyone will take a look at the website and share it with friends and family they know who are at a crossroads in their work or learning.”

Sacha Wright  is Director of The Strategy Collective: "It was a pleasure to work with the Jedi Council and run a co-design process. Over a number of months we had workshops identifying what people needed from the directory as well as what information would really help folk.

"For instance, we have included a gallery of photos for each listing. This includes photos of the entrance of that service as we know that it can be daunting for people to go to new places.

"The team worked on new skills such as communication objectives, a marketing plan and also digital skills so they can continue to make changes." 

More about the Jedi Council and the Orkney Local Employability Partnership: