Locals secure key worker roles thanks to Get Oldham Working

Get Oldham Working is helping residents across the borough find new jobs – including important key worker roles needed during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Oldham Council-led service supports Oldham residents with employment advice and support to apply for jobs, as well as offering free recruitment support for local organisations.

Its recent successes have seen Oldhamers secure key worker roles at Royal Oldham Hospital, local care homes and supermarkets and NHS Nightingale Hospital North West - the temporary hospital at Manchester Central which has been opened to care for coronavirus patients from across the region.

They include Dennis Keogh, from Chadderton, who started working as a porter at NHS Nightingale Hospital North West after spending the past two years caring full time for his partner.

Dennis, who has now been promoted to a supervisor role, said: “I’ve been on the Get Oldham Working books for a while in preparation for getting back to work and have done a few courses with them which have been great

“Get Oldham Working advertised this role at NHS Nightingale and I just went for it.

"It was a bit earlier than I had planned to return to work but I got the job and I’m really glad to be doing my bit and gaining experience – which I hope will secure me a similar permanent position in the future.”

Luba Tokaryk, from Werneth, has recently started working as a housekeeper at Roselands Residential Home in Royton after initially volunteering at the home.

She said: “Get Oldham Working helped me in many ways, including completing courses that would help get me into caring. They also gave me the confidence to start volunteering, which has led to a job.

“I’m really enjoying my work and would encourage anyone who needs support finding a job to speak to get Oldham Working – they really can help.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Get Oldham Working has been in touch with over 2,000 residents via email, Facebook and a direct telephone call.

As a result, over 250 local residents have had one-to-one advice and support by telephone and 80 have enrolled onto online training with various providers, including the latest #GOWOnline.

Cllr Shaid Mushtaq, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “We know many residents have seen their employment circumstances change as a result of coronavirus.

“Whether you’re looking for a new role, a temporary stop-gap or to improve your skills, then Get Oldham Working is here to help.

“The team are also here to support local organisations with their recruitment needs – so if you need any assistance at all, then please get in touch.

“Get Oldham Working is still very much open for business with colleagues working online and via a telephone service to ensure everyone gets the support they need at this difficult time.”

In addition to helping people land new jobs, Get Oldham Working has recently launched a free e-learning course to help residents learn new ways to communicate online, such as how to use zoom.

The course also teaches valuable business and customer service skills and will help you learn about staying safe online.

All you need is a computer or smartphone with access to the internet.

And regardless of your employment needs, the team’s friendly advisors are also urging anyone who feels like they need someone to talk to – to get in touch.

Jonathan Phillips, Principal Officer for Economy and Skills, said: “This is a really tough time for all of us and we don’t want anyone to feel lonely or isolated.

“We are a service that prides itself on helping people, so if you are reading this and you feel like you need someone to chat to then please just give us a call or send us Facebook message – we are here for you.

“I’d also encourage people to sign up for our free courses.

"The internet is vital in helping us to keep in touch and video conference apps like Zoom are really useful for everything from speaking to friends and relatives to taking part in job interviews.

“If you’re not confident online, want to brush up on your skills or learn something new, we can help you take that next step.”

For more information, call Get Oldham Working on 07970 966527 or email: employability@oldham.gov.uk

You can also follow Get Oldham Working on Facebook where all the latest job vacancies are posted.

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