This last year has been a tough one for many of us but if you are facing the prospect of finding a job or switching career you don’t need to do it alone. Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) is the Scottish Government’s initiative dedicated to helping individuals and employers with the advice and support they need.
Dundee and Angus College is proud to be a PACE partner. Working together to provide skills development and employability support, the aim is to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work.
PACE advisers have extensive experience of dealing with redundancy situations and can help with CVs, job searches, applications and interviews, while offering advice on any benefits and learning opportunities.
One person who knows all about the benefit of PACE’s support is Brian Cairns, Business Development Manager at Michelin. He says, “Our early engagement with PACE and Dundee and Angus College was critical in supporting our employees through one of the most stressful times in their working lives. They never lost sight of the personal impact on every individual throughout the closure of the Michelin tyre plant in Dundee and helped create a road map of support, drawing from organisations such as local universities, Skills Development Scotland, Job Centre Plus and the Department of Work and Pensions. They also arranged career coaches for one-to-ones and involved organisations such as the NHS and chaplaincy service to help support our employees’ resilience and wellbeing.
“One phrase that resonates with me is ‘Think of this moment as a leaving school day’. From the negativity of redundancy to having the opportunity to choose any new careers they always wanted to do, we had people take up this challenge and change career paths. Outcomes ranged from some going into full-time education to retrain in professional accountancy, teaching and health care to training for deep sea diving in the oil and gas industry. Whatever the choice, the support of organisations like Dundee and Angus College and PACE helped make it possible.”
Despite restrictions on face to face contact as a result of COVID-19, PACE support continues to be delivered through its helpline and enhanced online resources. Individuals can register and sign up for free weekly webinars offering information and advice to help deal with redundancy and planning next steps.
Caryn Gibson, Economic Partnerships Manager at D&A College, says, “We are proud partners of PACE and are committed to providing opportunities for individuals to upskill or re-skill to help them choose new life-long careers. We understand that facing redundancy can be an incredibly challenging time for individuals however it can also be an opportunity to consider what career you would like to have and what skills you may require. As a college we would like to offer assurance that our doors are open to you and we would be delighted to support you through the next step of your journey.”
Visit www.redundancyscotland.co.uk for more information or call 0800 917 8000 to speak to an adviser.
Dundee & Angus College
Dundee and Angus College is moving away from traditional thinking and focussing much more on careers not courses. It wants the people of the Dundee and Angus region to be better informed and prepared for the career options available to them, no matter what stage they are at.
