Set up as a Community Interest Company in 2012, 4 Steps is supported by Manchester City Council and provides information, advice and guidance to people seeking to improve their employment prospects and to VCSE organisations wanting to grow and become more sustainable.
Today 4 Steps was running a support session for individuals at its new Enterprise and Learning Centre in Burnage which opened in June. Despite the Centre being in the final stage of refurbishment, three service users were in today to be involved in support activities tailored to their needs. One person was attending a mock job interview in order to work on improving their approach to this crucial aspect of getting a new job. Another attendee was being supported to develop their IT skills in in order to improve their access to employment opportunities found on the internet. The third and final user of today’s session was getting help with their CV and cover-letter writing skills. There had meant to be a fourth attendee of this session but they cancelled as they were attending a job interview!
Service users appreciate the personal approach to the employment and enterprise activities that are offered. David has had a succession of short-term job contracts and wants more stable employment. Talking about how the 4 Steps approach compares to that offered by government agencies, David said: “The system tries to fit square pegs into round holes without thinking about the skills the person has. 4 Steps is more personal and is helping me to find work that fits my skills”. This approach aims to improve the confidence of its users who benefit from responsive, relaxed and personalised contact with tutors. 