A new programme to help the men of Sedgemoor reskill, retrain or find help and advice about finding jobs or advice about employment has been launched in Sedgemoor.   It follows the highly effective model – 100 Women First – which is run by Sedgemoor District Council’s learning and skills team.

Badged as ‘Sedgemoor4Men’, the programme will be similar to the highly-acclaimed work done under the ‘100 Women First’ banner which has been operating for 18 months and has seen scores of women find work or set up their own businesses.  ‘Sedgemoor4Men’ will give participants the opportunity to come together, build support networks, share experiences, learn new skills and access resources. It will evolve in response to the needs of those involved. The team will also work with employers to encourage them to consider alternative methods of recruiting and more flexible work patterns as well as providing workshops on what they require from their employees.

It is well-documented that men are more likely than women to suffer adverse health consequences from losing or not having jobs and the Coronavirus pandemic is likely to create more unemployment in the short-term and a shortage of opportunities.

Caroline Derrick, who leads the team, explained that the 100 Women First programme had started in response to a study that found that there was a wide pay gap between men and women across the area and Sedgemoor District Council was determined to do something practical to address the situation.

“We knew there were many women in our communities who were either in low paid, part time jobs or not working at all but who wanted more for themselves and their families. They just needed help to achieve it.  We have been able to give them the confidence, skills, competencies and resources needed to take those vital steps.”

Anyone who wishes to be considered for the programme or who knows someone that would benefit from it should contact the team info@underconstructionhq.org.uk on 0300 303 7800.   This project is part of a wider employment-support programme across Somerset in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.