News

Job Clubs' Network Consolidates

With the need to become self-sustaining in future, the individual executive clubs within the Thames Valley Exectuive Job Club Network are co-operating ever more closely. There have been several joint training and awareness session, on topics that include sharing good practice, fund-raising and accreditation. The chairmen of each club are also meeting together quartlerly to identify areas of common interest, and to collaborate on initiatives that are best undertaken by the network as a whole.

Marketing Campaign Ratchets Up

One of the problems we have is that those people who could benefit from our activities are not aware of us at just the time they need us. Over recent months we have tried to raise our profile through the following activities:

• Meeting with advisors at Jobcentre Plus Newbury, one of our major sources of referrals
• Poster advert in the community board at Newbury station
• Newsletter emailed to our alumni, supporters and other friends - see below
• Monthly advertising in selected community and parish magazines
• Occassional articles in the monthly business section of Newbury Weekly News
• Entries in local directories and on local websites
• Posters on notice boards and fliers in libraries.

Accreditation

Many organisations demonstrate their professionalism through acquiring some form of quality standard or accreditation. We have considered two relevant accrediations - the Matrix Standard (a quality standard for information advice and guidance services) and PQASSO (Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations, especially aimed at voluntary and community organisations). Although we believe we fulfil most of the criteria of these standards, we would need to develop detailed documentation and pay for accreditation. At this stage of our development we feel that our resources (both financial and time) would be better spend on our core activities and improving our fund-raising capabilities. However, in the longer-term, once our future sustainability is assured, we would aspire to gaining one of these 'standards'.

Newsletter - Spring 2008

In April, we published our first newsletter. Its contents include:

• Our achievements - since we launched in Septmber 2006
• A job seeker profile - a case study of an engineering manager who got made reduandant, and how he landed a new job
• A volunteer profile - how our co-chairman got involved after a personal misfortune
• Workshop feature: preparing your CV - a small sample of a key topic that what we cover
• Thanks to - the Town Hall staff, who provide facilities for our weekly meetings
• How you can help - ways in which you can support our activities.

Download the newsletter (PDF file; opens in a new window)

This page last updated 19th August 2008

Important Notice - The information and advice given on this website or by our volunteers is given in good faith. No responsibility whatsoever shall attach to Careers Springboard West Berkshire or any person acting on its behalf for any actions taken by any person acting on this information or advice.