The outgoing Mayor of Frome, Kate Bielby, joined in the job search at the Cheese & Grain on Wednesday morning last week for a free drop-in session.
Frome Community Education has been running an informal job club and IT drop-ins there for the past year and wanted to show the mayor some of the work that they do and also the sort of challenges that people face.
One of the main barriers to cracking IT skills is lacking confidence with reading, writing and typing. So FCE have added support with literacy tutor Annita Constantinou and IT support volunteer James to help make a difference to people’s experience with computers. On Wednesday the centre was bustling with users and was a clear demonstration of the need for the project.
Mayor Kate Bielby said “It was great to see how this service, run by Frome Community Education, really works. What impressed me most was how informal and accessible it is which is crucial for people who may be struggling to search for jobs online or fill out applications. Having someone available who can help navigate you through the process and support your literacy and IT skills seems really simple but I saw for myself what a huge difference it makes.”
“We are here to support and guide anyone who needs help with computers, reading, writing and filling in forms,” said IT tutor, Sue Klepper. “We love that the IT hub has become a centre where people can meet and help each other, whatever their needs. Not everyone is searching for work and sometimes they just need a bit of technical guidance to keep up with modern life.”
If you are trying to fill in complex job applications and send email attachments the FCE team is here to help from Mon-Wed between 10-12 noon. The IT and literacy sessions are supported by Aster Communities and Awards for All.
