SWANLEY AND NORTHERN PARISHES JOB CLUB No 2 - PROGESS SINCE STARTING

This post outlines the kind of development strategy for what have become  "drop-in" job clubs at Hextable and Swanley. Members and volunteers intereact in four ways:

1. regular weekly meetings with fixed times and places;
2. occasional meetings at the library and Information Centre for advisory sessions on CV or covering letters etc;
3. emails and telephone (rarely) where a member gives contact details and communication consent;
4. social media, ie by Facebook, Twitter, and blogging eg Jaefoo-Blog 

Generally the thinking behind each approach is as follows:

• Meeting: The essence of our meetings is a)  members in small group discussion, and/or b) one-to-one "advice " sessions member/volunteer. A topic is sometimes introduced as a structured discussion.
• One-to-One sessions: These meetings  are for advice on CV and other aspects of job search or for business-building.
• E-mails and Telephone:  Media used for distributing vacancy notifications and other relatively urgent communications (a member registers consent for this approach).
• Social Media Marketing:  A relatively new approach for the following: a) to promote the Job Clubs or aspects of our work to members, volunteers, local Facebookers' Walls and more widely; b) to obtain and promote vacancy information;  c) to identify "good job club practice", eg by being a follower on Twitter; d) to give diary events information and e) to promote the locality (it may lead to jobs). 

Systems" Development:   From the beginning of December 2010 to the end of January 2011 "systems" development was heavy.  In this period much advice and help was given by Jane Gould of GB Job Clubs and the Leaders of the Job Clubs at Edenbridge, Sevenoaks and Strood.

Openings:

• Hextable Job Club:     Eventually we opened the Hextable Job Club on Wednesday 9th February at the Heritage Centre, College Road Hextable by kind permission of Hextable Parish Council. Open at 1.30pm to 3pm
• Swanley Job Club:    Nearly a month later we opened at the Swanley Job Club at the Library and Information Centre, London Road, Swanley Town Centre. Open 3pm to 5pm.

Format:  The two Job Clubs are of a "drop-in" format and are in effect one club for members but there are few "dual" members. If appropriate, arranged meetings take place outside "hours", eg to advise on an urgent job application draft CV.


Promotion Strategy 
Posters and flyers -  Information has been distributed by hand or by email - several organisations kindly display them. 
Word of Mouth  -  Introductions about the Job Clubs have been given to a)  three audiences in Swanley; b) a business- to-business show in Sevenoaks and  c)  participants at two training course in Swanley and  c) to numerous representatives of local authorities, government agencies and private sector companies and individuals.
Social Media Marketing (SMM) Having attended a course at the Stag Plaza, SMM has become part of the means of contacting and keeping in touch with members; developing on-line information posts  and generally seeking job opportunities, etc. Examples are:

 Entries for both job clubs have been published on the Directory of Job Clubs; See http://www.gbjobclubs.org/?page_id=30


 Fairly frequent Facebook messages are a) posted on the Hextable Job Club and Swanley Job Club wall; b) a few are sent to Doug Bug of West Kent Housing Association - he has many friends;


 An short article on job clubs was published by HortWeek;


 A blog has been created at http://jaef-jaefoo-blog.blogspot.com/2011/02/swanley-and-northern-parishes-job-club.html


 Blog and forum on Saga Zone;


Support:  We have been given support, advice and offers of help from many employment, business and other specialists in the community: Examples : a) Next Step sees members from time to time;  b)  Business Link courses have been attended by members - one member has attended three and now has a formal mentor relationship through Business Link to help develop his business,  c)  help with talks and discussions have been offered and taken on one occasion.


Diary of Events Outside events at which members and volunteers may learn about employment and also networking has been started, eg a)  on 17 February 2011 we attended the recent HMRC event on taxation and starting a business; b) Kent Vision 2020 was attended.


Information   Prepared and published Notes, Newsletters and other documents for members and others. Much is at Jaefoo Blog.