Rochdale scheme helps stage dramatic revivals

A new borough-wide programme to improve the confidence of the long-term unemployed has helped a young woman come out of the wings and dream of a career in the performing arts.

There had been very little sunshine for Kaci-Leigh (centre of picture) following her special educational needs provision and she lacked direction in what she wanted to do next.

But thanks to social enterprise Upturn and a spell at the M6 Theatre Company, meeting and greeting audience and selling programmes, she has become one of 100% long-term job seekers on the Better Life Chances scheme to rebuild their confidence. 

According to figures released today, of the 80 participants across Rochdale and Oldham, 34 have returned to education, 33 have found full time work and three are participating in voluntary work.

And given that the Government’s own flagship drive to get the long-term unemployed back into work resulted in just 7% being ultimately successful, they are pretty staggering statistics! (1)

Rochdale even boasted the first Better Life Chances student to start their own business as Pimjani Iliff took all she had learned on business courses found by the programme – to open her own Thai Massage salon.

“Better Life Chances is a unique mixture of practical work placement opportunities and mentoring and nurturing, one-to-one” explained Maria Williams, HR Director at Upturn, “and for all participants that last factor is key. Until this point, they have never really had anyone sit with them and drill down to what they want, and how they believe they can achieve that.”

Kaci-Leigh had apparently always dreamed of any kind of career – particularly backstage – within the performing arts and Upturn matched her with The M6 Theatre Company. Based on Albert Royds Street, the troupe specialise in unlocking young peoples’ potential. Kaci-Leigh was certainly thrown in at the deep end, working on the company’s Christmas production, A Tiger’s Tale. She said: “I loved every minute of it; and it has helped me believe I can do this.”

Better Life Chances is funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority plus national adult learning organisation, WEA. Its bold goal is to engage with those furthest away from work or education and imbue them with the confidence to get back on track. Amongst those it has supported, are those with mental health issues, learning disabilities and caring responsibilities that have seen them only recently able to return to work.

“A recent MENCAP survey showed that 86% of people living with conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia want to work but feel the cards are stacked against them” continued Maria Williams, “that can even include actually being unable to read job adverts and fill in application forms. Imagine how dis-spirting that can be.

The first step is to recover their self-belief and harness that will-to-work. As someone such as Kaci-Leigh has shown, instilling a bit of confidence can go a very, very long way.”