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December 2018

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APM delivers Working Capital on behalf of Central London Forward across nine London boroughs. The programme, funded by the European Social Fund, provides specialist health and employment services to unemployed people.

Through the dedicated support of multi-skilled Case Workers working with a range of specialist partners, individuals are helped to meet their specific health needs, supported to achieve new skills and qualifications, and encouraged to partake in voluntary work experience – all of which increases the potential of starting and staying in employment.

After working with the team on their own personal requirements, participants are encouraged to focus on their ideal outcomes; for most, this is their ability to find meaningful employment, and many people participate in a variety of voluntary roles on their way to achieving this goal.

Team success on Working Capital

From an Administrator role in Lambeth to a Radio Production Assistant in Islington, in many cases those that volunteer often end up starting employment in the same place, having had the opportunity to experience the role and asses their own ability in the placement, as well as show employers first-hand their determination to achieve.

In September, the team celebrated 102 job starts from the programme, and with 36% of these individuals being unemployed for 12 years or more (so far!) this is a wonderful achievement!

Congratulations to all those supporting and participating in Working Capital!

Working Capital team (left to right): Krystal Madyara, Hemal Patel, Maria Aliu, Noelle Laval, Nick Nicolaou, Leonara Xhema

apm-uk.co.uk

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At APM we are all passionate about fundraising to support good causes. Our latest story sees trainer, Kristine Dale, from Hastings, raising money for the charity Seaview, by sleeping in a carboard box by the beach for an event called the ‘Big Sleep’.

Since 1985, Seaview has provided an open access wellbeing centre at the heart of St Leonards-on-Sea. Seaview is a voluntary sector initiative, creating responsive local support for those that find themselves homeless.

“The Seaview Project has supported many of our customers here in

The Big SleepHastings to find their way to accommodation and independent living. On the night, all those who had signed up were allocated a box. I had many layers on including a hat, gloves and my sleeping bag. It was a cold night and it was a struggle to stay warm and sleep, but the camaraderie of everyone taking part was amazing and I know that we all appreciate now what many people face on a daily basis”, said Kristine.

Over £125 was raised for Seaview. If you would like more information about the charity or the ‘Big Sleep’, please visit seaviewproject.co.uk where you can register your interest or make a donation.

Robot building at the last Employment Futures ExpoAPM was pleased to support the Employment Futures Expo 2018 at Chase Terrace Technology College in November.

The expo is aimed at students aged 11 plus giving them access to specialist careers advice and guidance from impartial Careers Advisers, Colleges, Universities and Training/Apprenticeship Providers, and allowing them space to think about what they may want to do in the future.

The event was a huge success with nearly 2000 people coming through

the doors to visit the exciting stands featuring activities such as robot building, live music and a basketball shootout.

APM had two stands at the event as well as an entire area dedicated to National Citizen Service (NCS). Our Nu-Futures and Work Routes teams were on hand to offer advice to young people about courses and qualifications in what was the busiest part of the event!

“It was inspiring to see so many young people at the event thinking about their futures and careers, and the expo made it so that they could

gather all this information in a fun and informative way”, said Jenny Thornycroft from our Nu-Futures team. The NCS area was jam packed with excited young people eager to find out what possibilities await them in the summer, taking part in basketball competitions, winning prizes and even taking part in some karaoke.

APM are proud to be involved with such a fantastic expo, with such positive feedback from staff and attendees. We are excited to see what next year brings!

What’s a typical day? It depends where I am working from, but it’s structured and organised and could include anything from completing a risk assessment to analysing some information, as well as a whole host of other things.

Why APM?I’ve worked here for 14 years, I started out as a learner on a programme and then I did work experience before starting as an administrator. I progressed to working on our services for young people which is where I was introduced to health and safety as I was responsible for health and safety checking of employers. I like it here at APM. It gives me a sense of achievement and worth; it’s a very nice company to be a part of.

What’s the coolest thing about your job?You know its health and safety, right?!... Going to different places and meeting different people is cool.

Gettingto know...Scott Hinson, Health, Safetyand Environmental Advisor

Dogs or Cats?Neither

Netflix or YouTube?YouTube

Phone call or Text?Phone, I’m not very good at texting

iOS or Android?iOS.

Cake or Pie?Pie!

Tea or Coffee?Coffee

TV or Book?TV

Sunrise or Sunset?Sunset

Morning person or Night person?Morning

Quick firequestionsDescribe yourself in 3 words

I’d say down to earth, realistic and structured. I know down to earth is 3 words!

If you could pick a superpower, what would you pick and why?Erm… Fly. I can get to places quicker and avoid traffic. I’m a practical kind of chap.

What do you do when you’re not at APM?I spend time with my children, I have two boys, and my wife. If the weather is nice we go to the park, play football…stuff like that.

What did you want to be when you were young?When I was younger, I spent a lot of time on my uncle’s farm, so I wanted to be a farmer.

What’sinside... UK Youth

Showcase & Awards

4pageAsian Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony 2018

8pageMPs get involved with NCS

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December 2018 December 2018apm-uk.co.uk apm-uk.co.uk

The UK Youth Showcase and Awards took place on the 13th November at Central Hall Westminster. The first event of its kind, it showcased the achievements of young people, youth workers and youth organisations from across the UK Youth network.

APM are proud partners of UK Youth, championing and supporting the important work happening to enable young people to build bright futures – and we were there to see first-hand some of the great programmes available, as well as meeting the inspirational people delivering and benefiting from the programmes.

Hosted by Anna Smee, UK Youth Chief Executive, with Awards hosted by Leto Dietrich, the event was also attended by HRH The Princess Royal, Nigel Mansell CBE, Lady Anny Stoneham MBE, as well as fellow partners Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and Shout Out UK. Together with the UK Youth team, including their youth board, we celebrated the amazing stories of all the nominees and winners.

UK Youth Showcase & Awards

Youth Organisation of the Year – Wigan Youth Zone

Wigan Youth Zone were selected by the judges as they demonstrated a significant impact on the local area. Based in an area with increased numbers of children with special educational needs, higher than the national average levels of children living in poverty and unemployment, they have an extensive reach with 4,500 members and 85% of the young people accessing their employability programmes moving into education, training or employment. Youth Worker of the Year – Cheryl Banks

Cheryl was selected by the judges as she always goes above and beyond to support the young people in her community and does whatever it takes to ensure young people receive the support they need. Her dedication has led her to turn down promotions as she feels her time is better spent in the actual delivery work where she can make the most difference. Young Person of the Year – Kerrie McKenzie

Kerry was selected by the judges as she has achieved personal success despite being a young carer and being the main bill payer in her household. She got a distinction at college, was named student of the year and secured a place at Birmingham University after previously struggling in the formal education system due to undiagnosed ADHD, having caring responsibilities for her brother who has severe autism, and supporting her mum with her mental health conditions.

Over the past year UK Youth:

Grew their network to support

for our network of local youth organisations

received goes directly to the youth sector and young people

You can read more in their Annual Review.

1.5 millionyoung people across the UK...

£5.5 millionUnlocked

24%

of young people on UK Youth programmess come from the

10%most deprived areas of the UK

of young people on UK Youth programmes face at least

one personal barrier

86%92p of every £1

young people benefiting directly from our delivery

94,913...with

2018 Photography by Fergus Burnett - fergusburnett.com

Award Winners

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December 2018 December 2018apm-uk.co.uk apm-uk.co.uk

New Shrewsbury centre receives letter of successEach year our IT training courses help people develop new and advanced digital skills. With access to computers, equipment, learning and support, IT training builds CVs and opens new doors to finding work. We recently received a letter from a learner who had attended APM Shrewsbury, our brand-new centre which opened in July, describing his experience gaining not only computer skills, but confidence too!

Since the centre opened in July 2018, over 120 people have successfully completed ITQ Solutions, City and Guilds and BCS Qualifications. The APM team will soon be working with Shropshire Recovery Partnership (Addiction) and National Careers Service in order to ensure that even more people gain the skills they need to get on. “We love working in the local communities, we have great support from the local Jobcentres and other services, and together we’re helping even more people access the courses they need”. Xavier Fostier, IT Tutor.

Dear APM,

Since attending the IT training course at APM, Cross Hill Shrewsbury, I’ve found the course has not only given me a good insight into computers, but it has also given me a lot of my confidence back, which I needed before starting the course.

I had been in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and was in a low time in my life, it had drained me physically and mentally. I found Xavier an exceptionally good tutor. I knew nothing about computers when I started the course, and here I am on level 2 now, Xavier has great patience and is very attentive.

Xavier gave me a great morale boost and my confidence has come back leaps and bounds since attending the IT course. I feel it would have been difficult to get to where I have on this course, without Xavier’s professional expertise and help.

Our commitment to sustainability starts with the simple things – like making sure we re-use resources wherever possible. That’s why we chose to donate our sports equipment to local community centre, Hub on the Hill, in Telford.

Hub on the Hill is a community centre that was facing closure, when a group of residents came together to find a way to keep it open, realising its important role in the community. By 2017, an official charity called Sutton Hill Community Trust was formed, which took on the responsibility for the full management of the centre.

The centre provides a hub for people of all ages, including young people, to come together, meet other people and participate in a wide range of activities. The centre supports groups such as

APM donates sports equipment to local community centre

Brownies and Scouts and keeps young people fit and healthy in the summer holidays. The perfect place to use our wide range of equipment for sports including cricket, tennis, football and basketball!

“The Sutton Hill Community Trust is extremely grateful to APM for donating the sports equipment to us. It will be well used by the young people who use the centre and especially by our new Youth Club which is opening on the 11th September. We are already planning activities for the young people we support for the next school holidays and especially for the summer holidays next year. The sports equipment will be well used so that we can support more young people to keep active and enjoy sport.” Terry Yarnall, Community Project Manager, Hub on the Hill.

Our local National Citizen Service (NCS) team, including young people from the programme, jumped at the opportunity to deliver the sports equipment to the users of the centre.

THE RESIDENTS THAT RUN HUB ON THE HILL

ARE SO PASSIONATE AND DEDICATED ABOUT THE WORK THEY DO. THAT KIND OF COMMITMENT IS WHAT WE NEED TO SEE MORE OF IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GAINING SO MUCH BENEFIT FROM THEIR HARD WORK.

SIMON SMITHSON, NCS OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

The Nu-Traxx Connect programme at APM in West Bromwich helps learners aged 16-18 to achieve skills and competencies requested by local employers. Social action initiatives on the programme see learners creating new ideas for how their skills can make a difference in their community. On Tuesday 2nd October, Nu-Traxx learners hosted a Macmillan coffee morning supported by the tenants of Lanchard House, which they had organised themselves. The Macmillan charity supports people and families who have been affected by cancer, offering care, support and the best advice. The charity has helped thousands of people over the years

West Bromwich learners go all out for social action

and always needs continued help and funding.

During the morning, learners visited other local offices with selections of treats on offer and later went out into the town to encourage people to come and visit the APM centre. They promoted the event on social media to encourage friends and family to get involved, which led to some students from the nearby college paying a visit. As well as buying cake, visitors were encouraged to guess the length of the vegetable roll (a fundraising event provided by Macmillan), to win a beautiful cake which was donated by tutor Jaleesa Senior-Brown. The winner of the cake was a visiting member of Black Country Women’s Aid, who decided to take the cake to a children’s refuge to enjoy.

The event raised £77 for Macmillan and the learners’ good work stretched beyond this. They promoted themselves positively with other tenants in Lanchard House and donated leftover cakes to the foodbank next door.

A great day where learners put their skills to work to help others!

Terry Yarnall, Community Project Manager, NCSers and young people from the centre.

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The 29th November saw nearly 500 people from across the UK gather at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham to celebrate talent and diversity at the 2018 Asian Apprenticeship Awards.

Recognising the opportunities apprenticeships offer to people of all ages as well as business, the Asian Apprenticeship Awards aim to demonstrate and encourage the range of talent, diversity, hard work and professional prospects within the Asian community.

Following APM’s sponsorship of the awards in 2017, we were proud to be back again this year supporting the Health, Medical & Social Care category, where our Chief Executive, Alan Cave, presented awards for employer and Apprentice of the Year. Members of the APM team were there to show their support and to celebrate the talent and achievements of all those nominated, alongside headline

Asian Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony 2018

sponsors the Royal Air Force, a wide range of employers including Severn Trent, Bombardier, BAE Systems, HSBC, BBC, Costain Group, NHS, BT and Jaguar Land Rover, and the many colleges and learning providers supporting both employers and apprentices on their programmes.

Awards were presented in eight section categories, with two employer categories and the overall Learning Provider of the Year Award. The guest speaker of the event was Jasmine Kundra – a learning and development professional from this year’s BBC programme, The Apprentice – who spoke passionately about the need to empower and encourage young people to continue to learn from all experiences life brings.

Over 300 nominations were received across the categories, and it was Ahmed Munshi of BAE Systems who was ultimately named Apprentice of the Year. Based in Preston, Ahmed is in his penultimate year of a

Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management. Successfully mentoring nine school and college students alongside his work and studies, Ahmed was chosen by the judges as a real role model not only in his company, but in his community as well. Despite the initial pressure from his parents to take a traditional path to university, Ahmed was confident that the combination of balanced academic qualifications and work would be the right choice for him.

Congratulations to all those nominated, and to Isa and the Pathway Group team for another fantastic event!

To see the full listof winners, please visit: asianapprenticeshipawards.co.uk

Jasmine Kundra with APM’s Annie Hammerton and Amy Beauchamp

The APM team from left to right:Annie Hammerton, Rajwinder Kang, Rosalyn Allen, Alan Cave, Donna Mortimer, Emma Ward, Piroska Down, Amy Beauchamp and Raj Mistry.

The Asian Apprenticeship Award Winners

Above: Rajwinder Kang and Piroska Down Below: Amy Beauchamp, Annie Hammerton, Raj Mistry and Rosalyn Allen

APM CEO Alan Cave, presenter Suzi Mann and Health, Medical & Social Care Employer Winners, Aspects Care Ltd.

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October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to support our friends at Black Country Women’s Aid (BCWA), APM held a Go Purple day on the 15th at our West Bromwich centre.

The premise was simple: wear as much purple clothing, accessories and footwear as possible in order to raise awareness of domestic violence and to support this local charity.

Purple is a colour worn by early women’s rights activists and today it is an important symbol for campaigners against domestic abuse and violence towards women and girls.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month was originally launched in the USA to unite individuals and organisations working to stop domestic violence: and the Go Purple event was a chance to bring the campaign to the West Midlands!

APM goes purple for BCWABoth staff and learners took part and raised money for this hard-working charity.

How does the fundraising help?Black Country Women’s Aid supported over 8000 women, children and men who had experienced abuse and violence last year. Their refuges offered a safe place to stay, and their advocates and counsellors helped people to get back on their feet, cope with trauma and look towards a safer future.

The charity currently receives over 24 calls an hour and their 6 refuges are almost always full. They need everyone’s fundraising help to ensure that no victim of abuse is turned away from support.

Why is it important?Domestic abuse remains at epidemic levels, with two women a week being killed by a former or current partner. Domestic violence happens in every community and affects people of all

ages. While most victims are women and girls, domestic violence affects men and boys too. The impacts of domestic violence affect individuals, families, communities and society as a whole, but prevention is possible.

What can be done?Black Country Women’s Aid’s aim is to try and change the way society thinks and to remove the stigma around domestic violence. This issue needs to be something that people feel free to talk about openly so that victims and survivors won’t feel judged for experiencing abuse and can come forward to get help.

The charity helps individuals, communities and businesses understand how they can take action to promote safety, respect and equality to end domestic violence.

If you would like to know more about Black Country Women’s Aid and how you can help, please visit blackcountrywomensaid.co.uk

Work Routes Case Studies Alan’s Story

When Alan joined the Work Routes programme in Hastings, he had been out of work for over a year.

He had previously taken a career break to raise his son, creating gaps in his CV. In addition, Alan had a criminal record and really felt this was going to be a barrier to gaining employment, with employers put off by his past.

While working together to develop and update his CV, Alan’s Work Routes coach, Jo Mammone, explored his work history and relevant experience and spotted a previous company Alan worked for that was now recruiting. With his job-search skills, Alan created a tailored application for the opportunity and submitted his CV.

Alan was invited to attend an interview and after a very successful meeting with the employer, he was offered the role! He is now enjoying his new position and is really pleased that APM helped him to find a job: “The staff helped me see an opportunity I probably wouldn’t have looked at again, but thankfully I have managed to get full time work thanks to Jo. A BIG thank you to all at APM!!”

John’s Story

Having been in employment with a local vintage toy and music retailer, John found himself made redundant due to trading conditions. In his search for his next position, John visited APM’s Cannock centre after an A-board notice outside the office caught his eye. The Cannock team quickly established that John was eligible to receive support through the Work Routes programme and got to work straight away. John describes how he was feeling very low and how much of his motivation and confidence had left him in the few weeks between leaving work and meeting his advisor, Mel Hall.

Mel and John quickly developed a strong rapport and John took advantage of regular appointments with Mel to work on his confidence and motivation. He soon started to relax and feel valued as an individual. John describes how he felt his advisor and the wider team at APM were dedicated to his success, affording him the support and time to complete job applications, and increasing his self-belief.

Identifying that he needed to improve his IT skills, the APM team helped John start accredited training to achieve his ITQ Level 1 qualification. After his success, and having gained more confidence, John became more and more motivated in his job search - he attended a care sector job fair at APM and applied for a variety of positions. John was successful in gaining several interviews with local organisations and was soon offered a position with Katherine House Hospice as a Retail Assistant. To help him take the position, APM supported John with the cost of his travel to work until he received his first wages.

John has now been in employment for almost 4 months, enjoying consistent overtime and building strong working relationships with his colleagues and customers.

John commented, ‘This has improved my life a hundred-fold and how great it is to be able to see money in my bank account!” John now has a regular routine and is getting more exercise both mentally and physically and says he feels so much better.

Looking forward, John is content with his job and keen to stay in it for years to come. He is keen to explore other roles with Katherine House Hospice and has applied to participate in a team leading and business management course! Most importantly, John is keen to maintain the health & wellbeing that employment brings him.

If you would like more information on how Work Routes can help you, please get in touch today.

Alan, Work Routes client

THIS HAS IMPROVED MY LIFE A HUNDRED-FOLD AND HOW GREAT IT IS TO BE ABLE TO SEE MONEY IN MY BANK ACCOUNT!

APM staff and learners

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December 2018 apm-uk.co.uk

Laura warms up for 2019 successAPMer, Laura Bennet, from our National Citizen Service team in the West Midlands, has secured her place in the 2019 London Marathon as part of #TeamDementiaUK with a huge fundraising target of £2,500!

Dementia UK aims to improve the quality of life for all people affected by dementia. With the number of new cases of dementia growing to 163,000 each year – 1 every 3 minutes – they need our support

now. By helping raise money for this amazing charity, you will be making a huge difference to those affected by dementia up and down the UK, helping provide support and advice though their Admiral Nurses.

Admiral Nurses provide the specialist dementia support that families need. They work alongside people with dementia and their families, giving them one-to-one support, expert guidance and the practical solutions they need and that can be hard to find elsewhere.

Laura said, ‘Anything you can donate, whether it is £1, £5, £10, will make a huge difference and is much appreciated. Please help me change the lives of those affected by dementia for the better.’

Please support Laura on her amazing journey by offering message of support and donations on her fundraising page at the link below.

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LauraBennett35Donate here:

The National Citizen Service (NCS) brings young people together from different backgrounds for a unique, shared experience to help them fulfil their potential and broaden their horizons. Recently the efforts of the young people have been turning the heads of not only local MPs, but from further afield too.

Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire (and Secretary of State for Defence); Ruth Smeeth, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove; Tracey Crouch MP for Chatham & Aylesford; Amanda Millings, MP for

MPs get involved with NCSCannock Chase; and Gareth Snell, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, have all visited young people on the NCS programme.

Gavin Williamson said: “It has been great meeting with these young people and seeing the fantastic work they are contributing back to our community. I think NCS, run by dedicated partners like APM, is brilliant at helping local young people grow and gain vital skills for their future”.

The Secretary of State met with participants who were on their third week of NCS – this week of the programmes sees young people helping the community by planning

fundraising activities for local charities. Mr Williamson spoke to the young people about their time on NCS, their favourite projects and what their fundraising targets are.

“It’s fantastic that the Secretary of State came to see our local project, it really makes you realise the difference that you’re making for the community and it’s nice to know it’s appreciated.” Tom, NCS participant

NCS has had over 500,000 sign-ups this year and has raised thousands of pounds for local charities and communities. To make your mark and make a difference, register your interest on ncsyes.co.uk

Ruth Smeeth, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove

Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire (and Secretary of State for Defence)

Amanda Millings, MP for Cannock Chase