Carolyn Copleston

District Engagement Manager – North Kent and Medway, 01/09/2023 to current.

Shaw Trust – North Kent

Working on the Work and Health Core Contract and Pioneer Program with the aim to reach into the communities and engage with those who are furthest from the job market due to complex barriers. The Pioneer program was the DWP's test model for and fore runner for Connect to Work, and was based on the IPS Model.

• Trained in the IPS model and 'place, train, maintain' program model.
• Partnership engagement through proactive business development and networking to fill the Pioneer contract and meet KPI's.
• Train support and develop staff working on Works and Health Program and Pioneer.
• Knowledge of required local and regional labour market and employment issues within one or more skills sectors.
• Experience in partnership management for internal and external Partners.
• Highly experienced in working in the employment and skills sector; delivering to specific targets, quality standards and compliance measures.
• Experience of providing one on one support or coaching and influencing other people’s professional and personal development.
• Strong track record in achieving individual and team targets, along with attention to detail for contract compliance.
• Ability to problem solve and respond appropriately to a variety of situations.
• Strong ability to develop good relationships with stakeholder partners to support KPI’s.
• Ability to analyse data and produce MI reports.
• Existing relationships with Job Centre Plus across Kent that has been developed over many years.
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Working on the Work and Health Program supporting those people in our communities who have multiple barriers preventing them entering the work place.

• Managing a complex caseload.
• Able to cope in a fast paced target driven environment to set KPI's. I have to date met all targets required of me.
• Motivating and progressing clients to meet their agreed goals, and find creative ways to elicit change in individuals.
• Working with external stake holders to provide opportunities for clients; including employers, local authorities and volunteer organisations.
• Working across Job Centre Plus to promote and improve service against the Work and Health Program
• Using my solid knowledge of the skills and training sector to help and support the team and wider work collegues in Shaw Trust.
• Engaging with Shaw Trust stakeholder partners to improve service to end users and develop partnership working.
• Working knowledge of Shaw Trust management systems (PEP's, BI Power, Sharepoint, Business World and the Loop.
• Tracked and documented metrics, and evaluated trends in the geographic areas social change programs are rolled out.
• Managed new customer onboarding processes including presenting to referral partners and effective IAG to maintain exceptional first impressions.
• Involved with senior management staff forum to better reflect the needs of staff to enhance the working environments. Reporting on nay key and recurring issues.
• Established and implemented effective training programs to maximise participant engagement and success.

• Take a company from inception to an annual turnover in excess of £1 million.
• Strategic project management of training programs tracked to funding budgets and government priories.
• Line responsibility for members of staff.
• Working on pre-employment programs and welfare to work programs with participants/ learners that have barriers to going into the workplace.
• Develop relationships from a standing start with stake holder partners for learner referrals in Kent and SE London to deliver pre-employment programmes funded through Adult Education Budgets. These included all Job Centres across North and North West Kent and up into South East London, developing warm relationships with JCP staff from Work Coaches through to Provision Managers at local and District level.
• Developed a secondary referral network to increase referral rates to programs including CXK, Ixion, Kent Probation Service, Kent County Council, Mind, NCS, Medway Council, The Education People, Peabody, Clarion Housing, Orbit Housing,
• Excellent presentation skills to groups, both face to face and digitally to promote uptake of programs using digital media and other more traditional methods.
• Member of KATO and regular attendee of the Kent Adult Skills Forum to gain insight into local skills gaps and demands of the local labour market.
• A good understanding of skills and training opportunities and progression routes.
• Part of a team that gained an Ofsted Grading of ‘Good' following inspection (March 2017) against TDLC's Advanced Learner Loan facility. Success rates were 85% against delivered training.
• Secured bid and match funding from colleges, and other prime contractors, both ESFA funding and ESF funding. (Skills Training UK, Heart of Worcester College, Kiets Training, LSDN, KAE, London South East Colleges, etraining, RBLI)
• Experience of learner/participant management systems and funding claim procedures
• Ensure training delivery in line with ESFA Funding Rules and Regulations
• Develop systems and procedures to facilitate the delivery of programmes
• Innovative use of technology to create blended learning programmes to delivery funded qualifications to unemployed learners and those that are NEET.
• Worked with school academies (Harris Federation, Leigh Academies, Victory Academies and Medway UTC) to roll out technical financial course to support STEM learning
• Achievement rates for successful outcomes for participants on program 98.8%
• Success rates for learners back into employment 65%
• Successfully developed progression routes for learners back into work via work experience, or self-employment programmes (NEA Programs run by Ixion).
• Good report writing skills aligned with ability to measure achievements against KPI's and meet contractual requirements.
• Safeguarding and Prevent Officer
• Ability to produce well thought out marketing and promotional material to drive awareness of IAG around program delivery and results to promote program success.
• Managing budgets and financial reporting structures.

• Creation of e-learning solutions to a wide range of skills sectors through ESF Funded Projects
• Knowledge of all ESFA Funded Programmes, including apprenticeships, key basis skills and NVQ's
• Increase retention rate for learning and achievement rates to a wide variety of sectors (Business Administration, Customer Service, Retail and Hospitality) through the innovative use of e-learning
• Responsible for project management of ESF Funded Projects
• Working with awarding organisations and other training providers
• Responsible for creating new business
• Companies worked with: - JHP, HIT Training, VT Group, Skillsnet, Prevista, Pearsons, EON, Whitbread, Compass Group, WAMITAB, Freight Transport Association, B-Skill, Mainstream, John Laing Training.

Worked on Medway Youth Offending Team.