The UK Government welcomed the news yesterday (13th April 2011) that the UK Unemployment Rate had fallen by 17,000, to below the landmark level of two and a half million to 2.48M. However, when you delve a bit deeper behind these headline figures, the statistics create worrying reading for some sections of society, most markedly, the female working population, and those under the age of 24.

The latest figures up to March 2011, show that the number of women now claiming Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA) has risen to a 15 year high, and now stands at 462,300 according the Office for National Statistics.

For those under the age of 24, known as ‘Youth Unemployment', the figures make concerning reading with a total of 963,000 in the age bracket 18-24 now out of work in the UK, an increase of 12,000 over the last quarter. It is even worse news for school-leavers (16-17 year olds) with a rise of 14,000 to 218,000, the highest since records began almost twenty years ago.

In other areas of the jobs market, things looked a little stronger, but the increase in vacancies is being attributed mainly to the National Census which has seen a large number temporary positions become available during the past few months. However, the Government's forecast that the private sector would pick up the slack of the cuts being made in the public sector may becoming to fruition. During the last quarter in 2010, the number of public sector job losses were put at 45K, whilst those working in the private sector of the economy increased by 77K.

Obviously it is a very worrying time if you have been made redundant, are unemployed, or are due to leave school in the summer and have not yet found a job. However, there is plenty of help on offer from several directions including the Government, councils, local businesses, and charitable organisations. In Chelmsford, for example, the local town council have published a learning guide which aims to help people from age 16 upwards to gain a better understanding of what skills are required in the workplace. Called ‘Pathways', the guide also gives information on what qualifications can improve your employment prospects and how to cope and adapt to change within your working environment.

The Pathways guide has been produced by the Chelmsford Partnership as part of a document published last year called ‘Chelmsford Tomorrow 2021', which highlighted the need to engage adults in a "wider range of learning opportunities" as a priority. In addition to the advice, the guide also lists organisations & websites, such as ‘Train to Gain', ‘LearnDirect', ‘Next Step', ‘Apprenticeships', & ‘Skills for Life'. These offer some fantastic help and guidance for those seeking work, looking to improve their skills or career prospects. Pathways also covers the subjects of starting your own business, becoming self-employed, and working in the volunteer sector.

Another initiative provided by Chelmsford Borough Council is the opportunity of working for the authority on one of their Apprenticeship schemes. Being fully funded by the Government as part of the National Apprenticeship Programme, any positions which become available are only offered to those between the ages of 16 and 18. Successful candidates will then have the opportunity to work towards such qualifications as NVQ Level 2 or BTEC, learn key work skills, and receive guidance on CV writing and interview techniques. If you are interested in an apprenticeship with Chelmsford Council, then you should contact them directly in the first instance to see if any positions are currently available.

If you live in Chelmsford and have been made redundant recently, a support initiative run by the council called ‘Redundancy Initiative: Supporting Enterprise', is a service you may look to help assist you through your current situation. ‘R.I:S.E', as it is more commonly known, is a one-stop shop redundancy advice service for residents who are facing the looming prospect of losing their job or have already been made redundant. Bringing many services together via seminars, workshops, and career advice surgeries, R.I:.S.E offers help on the following aspects of redundancy.....

Dealing with Redundancy - How to cope with the practical and emotional side of being made redundant, what financial assistance is available, your legal rights, employment issues.

Assess Your Options - Return to a similar role, retrain for something completely different, voluntary work, buy or start your own business, become self-employed, further training, or retirement.

Job Hunting - Decide what you want to do, how to find the right job, writing your CV, successful interview skills and techniques.

Improve Your Skills - Retrain for a new career, enhance existing or past skills, part-time or full time study, funding your training or course.

Buy or Start a Business - Purchasing a business or franchise, writing a business plan, accessing finance, book-keeping, legal issues, law, employees, tax, advertising & marketing, risk management

Latest Unemployment News for Chelmsford

The latest figures published for March 2011 showed a slight decrease in the number of Job Seeker Allowance claimants in Chelmsford 2826, giving an unchanged percentage rate of 2.6% against a national average of 3.8%

Bucking the national trend, Chelmsford also saw a fall in the number of JSA claimants in the 18-24 age range, down to 680 (4.8%), against 760 (5.4%) last month. This compares favourably to the national rate for the age group of 7.3%.

Have Your Say

Have you been made redundant and used any of the above services in Chelmsford? Were they useful or were they a complete waste of time?

If you have, please let us know how you found them by adding your comments below.