Funding secured to support people into work across the Scottish Borders

A project to help unemployed Housing Association Tenants into work has been launched in the Borders.

The initiative is the first of its kind between the Borders Housing Network (comprising of all four local housing associations) and social enterprise The Wise Group.

The Borders Employment Advice and Mentoring (BEAM) project aims to tackle barriers to employment for 100 tenants or household members of Berwickshire, Eildon, Scottish Borders and Waverley Housing Associations.

Mentors will work with participants to overcome obstacles such as lack of work experience or CV, poor interview skills, low confidence, mental health issues, addiction problems or financial restraints.

The five-month programme which is expected to end on 30 June 2022 has attracted £214,000 of funding from the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund (CRF).

BEAM mentors will also help participants access digital search tools and e-learning courses, and Wise Group chief executive Sean Duffy added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Borders Housing Network to deliver this exciting programme.

“Barriers to employment come in many forms and this project will help us to understand better the issues being faced by unemployed housing association tenants and their families in the Borders.

 “As well as helping 100 participants over the coming months, we will be able to take learnings from this project to help understand how we can positively impact the lives of housing association tenants in other parts of the country who are facing barriers to employment.”

Unemployed tenants or household members of one of the Borders Housing Network Associations interested in taking part in BEAM should contact their Housing Officer.