A new website is being launched that will benefit jobseekers who have a disability or long-term health condition.
The Jersey Employment Trust’s client website is part of its main refreshed website, www.jet.co.je, created by Webreality. It includes an induction pack, a wealth of job seeking and interview preparation guidance as well as advice and links on managing health and wellbeing.
Employment Coordinator Helen Clayton has been overseeing the project. Helen had been working for JET for a year when she identified the need for a central resource for consistent information.
“Colleagues often ask each other where they can find certain information or relevant advice that we can share to help our clients, who have a diverse range of needs and issues. So having this central space where we can share our knowledge and experience a variety of resources will hopefully assist both staff and clients”, said Helen.
“I am delighted with the end result. This area of the website, which has been made possible thanks to funding from Barclays, will also give the client more autonomy in our job clubs and empower them to do more independently, for example, they can check out what a sample CV looks like before tackling their own. Likewise, if a client says they are struggling to adopt a good sleep routine or they feel that increased levels of anxiety are having an impact on their job seeking or employment, we can guide them to the helpful tips on our website.
“We provide training and development opportunities for clients and it will be great to base these around the practical website content. So for example, if we want to work on customer service skills, phone skills or interview preparation, we can incorporate the links or YouTube clips into group sessions.
“For those clients who are in work, it can be tricky to meet during normal office hours, so although the website doesn’t replace our face-to-face contact, we can refer them to the advice online for immediate tips and guidance pending a meeting with their Coordinator. The client website covers everything we can think of, presented in a logical way, across 88 pages”.
Employment Services manager Emma Powell said: “The great thing about the site is its accessibility. We wanted people to be able to access it themselves, from home, and without the need for a log-in and password. Everyone can read the information there, whether they are clients or prospective clients”.
JET executive officer Jocelyn Butterworth said: “Helen and the team have done an amazing amount of work on the website. It turns out that it was a particularly good use of time in lockdown! I hope that our clients will get a lot out of the resources on there, and that it will be the go-to website for advice for people who have a disability or long-term health condition”.
JET trustee Matt Tabb said: “The new website will prove to be an invaluable resource for not only JET’s clients and staff but anyone looking to get back into employment, making it especially timely considering the challenges we’ve all faced of late. For many people, being able to easily access this kind of information and support will make a real difference and represents a big step forward for the support JET provides”.
Helen extended her thanks to colleague Jo Anderson, former colleague Emma Oxenham, photographer Gary Grimshaw, digital marketer Andrew Scott-Miller, Barclays, and Webreality for their support and patience.