Durham Employment Connections

Durham Community Action

"Durham Community Actions’ involvement in DEC has developed our networks, ensured that we are properly connected to those organisation and services offering employability support encouraging our professional curiosity into considerations around personalising this support to take into account individuals’ barriers and needs and enabled us to promote our services to organisations and individuals more effectively."

Durham Together

"As Durham Together a partnership of VCS organisations offering a range of support, training, volunteering, and transport solutions, DEC has enabled us to raise awareness of support to organisations and employers and to target this support to local residents across County Durham through the connectivity of networking, promotions, presentations and job fairs."

Abbey Weatherill, Volunteering Development Manager

Durham County Council

"As a DEC member I have had the privilege of meeting an array of wonderful people and organisations, all offering an amazing service to the residents of county Durham. 

"This network of people allows for sharing of best practise and better understanding and knowledge of what support is out there for people.

"For the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, it has assisted with the mapping of organisations within the county, and a DEC member sits on the Trailblazer strategic partnership. 

"The events have improved the service we offer to residents by improving our knowledge of other services and enabling collaboration and better referral route ways." 

Emma West, Employer Engagement Coordinator - Economic Inactivity Trailblazer

Wheels2Work County Durham

"The DEC meeting is the best meeting that I attend both in terms of the connections I have made and the potential of increasing this through a continually wider network being created. 

"It brings together a wide spectrum of participants and providers within the employment and employability process in County Durham and provides an informed and receptive space where challenges and successes can be discussed, recognised and shared.

"As a group of individual organisations, we come together with a common goal. We encourage and listen to a range of approaches and representations from regular and invited agencies, and both discuss and consider the opportunities the content and methodologies presented, can bring.   

"As an aspiration, the DEC has enough pieces of the jigsaw in place to identify the requirements of the full picture and has a desire and determination to locate and fill the gaps."

 Liam Weatherill, Manager

Integrated Passenger Transport Team.

"I have been a member of DEC for the past three years and have benefitted from its membership through the networking opportunities it has given the various organisations I have been employed by – DurhamWorks, DurhamLearn and currently the Integrated Passenger Transport Team.

"It has enabled my clients to gain valuable experience through volunteering, acquiring information regarding benefit entitlement, access to and securing educational and employment opportunities. This has all been made possible by the valuable sharing of resources through the DEC cohort.

"In addition, in my current role I have been able to provide the members with information regarding the various fare options that they can pass onto their clients."

Fiona Harrington, Community Engagement Officer, Integrated Passenger Transport, Neighbourhoods and Environment, Durham County Council

JCP North Durham EA Team and the work on the Stanley Transport Pilot.

"The Durham Employment Connections event enabled a strategic partnership that directly addressed transport barriers impacting local employment. This collaboration led to the Stanley Transport Initiative, delivering funded PCV training, guaranteed job offers, and inclusive opportunities for diverse jobseekers. The story reflects how one networking event sparked innovation, strengthened employer relationships, and created a scalable model for regional growth."

Michael Colling, DWP Employer Services Manager

Employer Links

"Being part of DEC has significantly strengthened our employer connections, opening up access to job fairs and vacancies that directly benefit the people we support. The collaborative opportunities and shared resources have enabled us to design more inclusive programmes, while the networking has fostered valuable partnerships across the sector. DEC’s impact has been instrumental in helping us bridge policy and practice to deliver real community outcomes." 

 Alison Washbourne, Director, Employer Links Ltd

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