Successful Project Workways+ Returns to Carmarthenshire.

A £9m scheme is underway to help long-term unemployed people in Carmarthenshire and neighbouring counties.

Workways+ offers training and paid work experience opportunities to long term unemployed people to help get their lives back on track. Backed by £7.5m of European Union funds, the three year scheme will benefit people in Neath Port Talbot, which is the lead authority for the project, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

The Workways+ project Head Office for Carmarthenshire is based in Carmarthen Library but the project will cover the entire county, targeting people living outside Communities First areas who are 25 years old and over, economically inactive, long term unemployed or have complex problems to be overcome in order to return to work.

The project will strengthen the library’s status within Carmarthen and add to the vibrancy of King Street. Workways+ will engage with participants within the library, along with various other outreach venues throughout the Carmarthenshire area, including Llanelli, Ammanford and more rural areas.

Workways+ offers one-to-one mentoring support with job seeking, interview skills; help with writing CVs, the chance to gain new qualifications and for some participants, a paid temporary job with a local employer.

Support will target people affected by work-limiting health conditions and disabilities, as well as those with care responsibilities and low or no skills.

The Workways+ employment project will build on the success of the first EU-backed Workways project which helped 12,000 people in South West Wales between 2009 and 2015.

To find out more about the services we provide, get in touch with one of our team on 01267 224211.

Carmarthenshire County Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “I’m delighted that Carmarthenshire is one of the county’s taking part in Workways+ which is a very worthwhile project to tackle the scourge of long-term unemployment.”

Executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “Workways+ will play a valuable role in helping long-term unemployed people back into work and will take forward the good work of the earlier Workways project.”