Belina GRoW CIC and Leicester Employment Hub Work in Partnership to Empower Women in Leicester

As part of our ongoing commitment to empower women in Leicester, Belina GRoW CIC has partnered with Leicester City Council’s Employment Hub. This collaboration seeks to enhance access to support, training, and employment opportunities for women in the city.

The Leicestershire Employment Hub, established in 2018, is an ESF-funded project aimed at providing free and impartial recruitment support to small to medium-sized businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire. The project operates through a partnership, including various educational institutions and organisations, with a focus on offering one-to-one recruitment support to employers.

The Employment Hub’s focus extends beyond job placement, offering comprehensive assistance. Alongside its website and job listings, the Hub collaborates with employers to create diverse job opportunities. Recognising that not everyone may fit existing positions, the Hub provides personalised assistance, including CV reviews, job search strategies, job interview brokering and advocacy with companies, ensuring a holistic approach to securing employment.

Speaking of the partnership Louise Cheshire, Senior Economic Regeneration Officer at Leicester City Council’s Employment Hub said: “The commitment of the Employment Hub goes beyond job placement by adopting a tailored approach for each individual, for example, in cases where a job may not be suitable due to location or other factors, the Hub actively explores alternatives, acting as an advocate for the individual. This approach involves preparing candidates for interviews and providing support throughout the process, with the ultimate goal of securing meaningful employment.

The Hub’s initiatives align perfectly with the work of Belina GRoW. While both organisations offer practical support such as CV and interview workshops, upskilling through education and training and employability advice and guidance, GRoW’s secret sauce is their empathetic and nurturing approach to supporting women.  I haven’t seen anything like Belina GRoW in Leicester in the two years that I have worked at Leicester Council and I am a big supporter of what they are aiming to do. Many of GRoW’s own team members have been through the GRoW Programme themselves and understand first-hand the issues and challenges many women face when looking to start their journey back to work. GRoW provide that very important first step in the process – confidence building. By helping women build their confidence they directly impact their levels of motivation, making it easier for them to navigate and overcome challenges when getting ready for work. This is particularly crucial for women who have more barriers to work such as lone parents, those caring for elderly parents or language barriers, for example. The work GRoW does in helping women boost their confidence directly contributes to creating a supportive community where they can flourish and gain the confidence needed to pursue their goals.”

Belina GRoW and Leicester Employment Hub both focus on moving individuals into education, training and work and part of this collaboration emphasises the importance of linking with various partners in the city, including job centres and educational institutions like Leicester College. These collaborations help to ensure that people seeking support can explore relevant qualifications and courses, helping them build the necessary skills to enhance their employability.

The Employment Hub receives referrals from various sources, including its website, job centres, and job fairs and actively refer individuals to GRoW, acknowledging the unique and tailored support offered by the programme.

Liz Sewell, Director of Belina GRoW CIC added her comments about the partnership, saying: “The Employment Hub carries out such important work in Leicester and we are delighted to be working in partnership with their team.  Both of our organisations recognise and value the importance of tailored support and community engagement in empowering women on their path to employment and by combining resources, expertise, and a commitment to individualised support we can contribute to building a more inclusive community for women in Leicester. Together we are committed to identifying needs within the community and with a shared goal of creating better communities through upskilling and personal development, this partnership aims to make a lasting impact on the lives of women in Leicester.”