Progress2Work

What is Progress2Work?

The objective of Progress2Work is to improve the employability of clients and to support them in making the transition to employment, training or further education.

Who is eligible?

Progress2Work (P2W) aims to provide specialist employability support to people claiming working age benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Carers Allowance), who are experiencing significant difficulty in accessing the labour market as a result of:

  • a history of drug/alcohol misuse or
  • experience of homelessness or
  • criminal convictions

Area Covered

Network Personnel has been contracted by DEL (The Department for Employment & Learning) to deliver the Progress2work programme in the geographical area covered by the Northern Health & Social Services Board.

Progress2work Outreach Support Officers travel to meet clients in their own locality and…

  • Provide a support system individually tailored to customer needs
  • Offer one to one meetings
  • Ensure frequent contact (a minimum of one contact per fortnight)
  • Devise individually tailored action plans
  • Provide links to additional support in job seeking, housing, health etc
  • Use mainstream programmes like ‘New Deal’
  • Offer consistency and continuity of care

Address any underlying barriers to training/education and employment such as:

  • Mental/general health issues
  • Debt
  • Poor essential skills / dyslexia;
  • Lack of work history / relevant work experience / skills
  • Relationship and/or domestic abuse
  • Negligible work place skills
  • Personal and emotional issues including lack of self confidence
  • Isolation and lack of social skills
  • Lack of direction / motivation
  • Mistrust of authority
  • Persistent difficulty in finding and retaining work
  • Unreasonable expectations
  • Negative family/ peer pressure

Clients may be referred to Progress2work by various organisations such as Treatment/Addiction Services; Voluntary Sector Organisations; The Northern Ireland Prison Service; The Probation Board for Northern Ireland; Young Offenders Centres; Training Contractors; NIHE-Supporting People Programme; Housing/Hostel Associations; Homeless Organisations; and Social Work Departments. Progress2work Support officers are also happy to meet with clients who ‘self-refer’ to the programme.

If you would like to make an enquiry about this programme, please click on the email link below.

Contact details/More information:

Alex McKee (Progress2Work Co-ordinator)
Network Personnel
The Rainey Centre
80-82 Rainey Street
Magherafelt
BT45 5AJ

Email: Alex.mckee@networkpersonnel.org.uk
Main Tel: 028 7963 1032
Lo-Call No: 0845 362 0747

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