Forward Trust - Employability & Skills Services
Categories
Addiction Advice & Support, Additional Needs & Learning Disabilities Support Services, Advice & Support for Elderly People, Armed Forces Support & Advice, Benefits advice, Community Services, Neurological conditions, Digital Inclusion & Skills, Domestic Abuse Advice & Support, Education Services, Employability Support, Financial Vulnerability Advice & Support, Food Advice & Support, Housing Advice & Support, Information, Guidance & Support for Carers, Mental Health and Wellbeing Advice & Support, Physical Wellbeing Advice & Support, Self referral, Support for young children in care and care leavers, Volunteering Services
Description
Across Kent and London, The Forward Trust Directorate can offer your referrasl:
The Restart Scheme is a DWP-funded employability programme designed to support people who have been unemployed for an extended period and are claiming Universal Credit. It provides intensive, personalised support through dedicated Employment Advisers, helping participants overcome barriers to work, improve confidence, develop skills, access training, and secure sustainable employment. Support includes career planning, CV development, interview preparation, health and wellbeing interventions, and direct links with employers to create job opportunities.
Connect to Work is the Government's new voluntary employment programme that supports people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and complex barriers to employment. Using the evidence-based Supported Employment model, the programme offers personalised vocational profiling, job matching, employer engagement, and in-work support to help individuals find, secure, and retain employment. In Kent and Medway, the programme is commissioned through local authorities and aims to improve employment outcomes while promoting independence, wellbeing, and social inclusion.
Adult Skills provision in Kent provides a broad range of learning and employability opportunities through organisations such as Kent Adult Education and Community Learning and Skills. These services support residents to gain qualifications, improve English, maths and digital skills, access vocational training, and prepare for employment. Provision includes employability courses, Skills Bootcamps, ESOL programmes, career development support, and sector-specific training linked to local labour market needs. The overall aim is to equip residents with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to enter work, progress in their careers, or continue into further education and training.
Adult Skills provision in London, funded through the Greater London Authority's Adult Skills Fund, supports adults aged 19 and over to access training and qualifications that improve employment prospects and career progression. The programme funds a wide range of learning opportunities, including English, maths, digital skills, vocational qualifications, community learning, employability programmes, and sector-based pathways linked to London's growth industries. Delivered through colleges, local authorities, universities, and independent training providers, the fund plays a significant role in developing a skilled workforce and supporting economic growth across the capital.
IPS Medway Recovery Support (Individual Placement and Support) is a specialist employment service that helps individuals in recovery from substance misuse, or those experiencing significant health-related barriers, move into paid employment as part of their recovery journey. Integrated with treatment and recovery services, IPS provides one-to-one employment support, rapid job search, career coaching, CV and interview preparation, employer engagement, and ongoing in-work support. The service is built on the principle that meaningful employment can play a vital role in improving wellbeing, supporting recovery, increasing independence, and enabling individuals to achieve long-term sustainable employment outcomes.
Collectively, these services create a comprehensive employability and skills offer across Kent, Medway, and London, supporting individuals from skills development and training through to job entry, job retention, and long-term career progression. They cater to a wide range of residents, including the unemployed, those with health conditions or disabilities, people in recovery, and adults seeking to improve their skills and employment prospects.
Collectively, these programmes support:
Unemployed adults.
Long-term unemployed individuals.
Universal Credit claimants.
Adults with physical health conditions.
Adults with mental health conditions.
Disabled people.
Neurodiverse individuals.
People in recovery from substance misuse.
Refugees and migrants.
ESOL learners.
Care leavers.
Carers and former carers.
Ex-offenders.
Veterans and Armed Forces families.
Homeless individuals.
Victims of domestic abuse.
Low-skilled adults.
Adults seeking retraining or career change.
Individuals at risk of economic inactivity.
People requiring support to retain employment.