MSPS and Aston offer CV and employability workshops for Waltham Forest residents

During the lockdown pandemic Morgan Sindall Property Services (MSPS) and Aston Group hosted a series of free CV and employability workshops for the residents of the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

The sessions promoted progress towards employment and were aimed at residents who needed support with developing and composing their CV’s, honing job search techniques, writing cover letters plus completing application forms while offering mock interview practise sessions. To maintain social distancing, the workshops were delivered virtually via Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams.

After each group session the residents were offered the opportunity to have a separate 1-2-1 catch up meeting, as everyone has different requirements, so these specific coaching sessions were tailored to suit resident’s individual’s needs. The residents were very pleased with the sessions and provided some fantastic feedback.

So far, there has been some great success stories with residents who were previously not getting interviews, now being offered them. One resident was contacted for an interview just 24 hours of him submitting his CV!

Councillor Louise Mitchell, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, said: “I am delighted that our housing contractors, Morgan Sindall and Aston, have pulled together such an ambitious and wide-ranging offer of online help, not just for our Council residents but all the residents of our borough.”

Rachel Statter, HR Officer at Aston Group, said: “I’ve been delighted with the response from Waltham Forest residents for the online pre-employment workshops and 1-2-1 coaching sessions. It has been a real privilege to be able to support and encourage so many people from a hugely diverse group of backgrounds, ages, cultures and employment status. We’ve helped residents who have many years of professional experience as well as students looking to start their careers, and all those in between. The feedback from our amazing participants, so far, has been 100% positive, and I’ve loved watching them blossom and grow with confidence, as they start to appreciate what they have to offer the world.”

Luke Culling, Social Value Business Partner at MSPS, said: “During this unsettling time and with the rise of unemployment, learning essential employability skills and honing the CV are crucial. I was delighted to work with Rachel on these sessions and it was fantastic to meet and support the residents during these challenging times. These sessions are still available, and the time slots run throughout the day and on certain evenings, so hopefully there will be a suitable time for all. I’m looking forward to working with the new group of residents, and with any luck I’ll be hearing lots of future success stories of more residents getting back into work.”

If you are interested in these sessions, please email engagement@walthamforest.gov.uk for an enrolment form to complete.