Support to find a job

Our team of specialists can provide support if you’re:

• unemployed and looking for work
• underemployed and want support that helps you move forward in your career

For example, they can help if you're:

• a young person who’s leaving school and wants to get work experience or an apprenticeship
• an unemployed adult who needs support to overcome barriers to employment
• a parent who needs to increase your income, either by getting into work or increasing your wages

Eligibility

To get support from our Learning and Employability team, you must be:

• of working age
• a Stirling Council resident

How to access our support

You can get support by following 3 easy steps.

1. Contact the Learning and Employability team using our online form or by calling 01786 237 517.
2. Meet a Learning and Employability Officer and agree a plan of action.
3. Work with your Learning and Employability Officer to identify and apply for suitable jobs.

Our programmes

Below, you can find out more about programmes that we deliver. 

What is Project Search?

Project Search is a transition to work programme for young adults with a Learning Disability or Autism Spectrum Conditions or both.

Project Search is a partnership run by

• Stirling Council’s Learning & Employability Team
• The Stirling Highland Hotel
• Forth Valley College
• DFN Project Search

Entry Requirements

• Must live in the Stirling Council area
• Age between 16-29
• Have a recognised disability
• Be able to travel alone, or learn how to do this
• Want to secure full time paid work (16hrs+)

How it works

The one-year opportunity is a full-time programme where participants, called ‘interns,’ are onsite within The Stirling Highland Hotel Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.

During this time interns undertake up to three different rotations each lasting 10 weeks in different parts of the hotel based on their strengths and interests. Interns learn new skills and improve their confidence and ability to compete for a job. Interns study for an employability qualification within the workplace and are assisted throughout by a College lecturer and a job coach, as well as hotel staff and managers.

How to contact us

For more information please email us at learningandemployability@stirling.gov.uk.

Fair Start Scotland is a Scotland-wide support service that helps people find work. Stirling Council is responsible for delivering this service in the Forth Valley area.

Fair Start Scotland can help if you’re struggling to find a job because you:

• have been unemployed for a long time
• have caring responsibilities
• are a single parent
• are a care leaver
• have a health condition, a disability or additional support needs

Eligibility

You can ask the service for help if:

• you're 18 or over
• you live in Scotland
• you have the right work in the UK

You can also ask for help if you’re 16 or 17 and are either:

• disabled
• receiving Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit

How Fair Start Scotland works

Fair Start Scotland programmes are flexible and take your personal circumstances into account.

If you decide to take part, you’ll be allocated a key worker. They'll help you to:

• remove barriers that are preventing you from accessing work
• access a tailored programme of support
• identify your skills and experiences
• create a CV
• find opportunities that will help you gain new skills and experience
• prepare for interviews
• find jobs which meet your needs
• sustain your job through in-work support

Ask us about Fair Start Scotland

If you think Fair Start Scotland could help you, use this form to contact our Learning and Employability team.

You can also call the team on 01786 237 517.

Find out more about Fair Start Scotland

You can read about the service on mygov.scot's 'get help to find a job' page.

Through LEAP Stirling, we offer individual, targeted support to help you improve your employability.

If you’re unemployed

LEAP Stirling can help you to:

• gain qualifications and learn new skills
• apply for further/higher education or other types of training
• find and retain a job

If you’re underemployed

LEAP Stirling can help you to:

• gain qualifications and learn new skills
• find a new job
• help you progress in your current job

How the LEAP Stirling programme works

Our highly skilled team will:

• work with you to produce an action plan
• meet with you regularly to help you to progress

Along the way, you can get help by accessing a range of courses and classes. These include:

• job clubs
• CV-writing sessions
• interview skills workshops
• IT classes

We also work with other organisations and employers to ensure you get the best possible chance to succeed in reaching your goals.

This programme is supported by the European Social Fund.

Ask us about LEAP Stirling

If you think LEAP Stirling could help you, use this form to contact our Learning and Employability team.

You can also call the team on 01786 237 517.

THRIVE to Maximise is a way for parents to get employability support, regardless of whether they’re in or out of work.

If you’re a parent who wants to unlock your potential, the programme can help you to:

• boost your confidence
• develop and enhance your skills
• obtain qualifications
• move into further education
• get a better job

By giving parents across the council area this type of support, we aim to:

• reduce in-work, family and child poverty
• help families to improve their financial situation

How THRIVE to Maximise works

We’ll provide you with structured support that’s tailored to your needs. This support can cover different areas of your life, including:

• employability
• family life
• health
• financial wellbeing

Specific types of support that you can access include:

• one-to-one support to find out about goals, skills and qualification and identify training gaps
• employability group training sessions, including work clubs, digital skills and help with interviews
• money, debt and benefit advice, including help with ‘better off in work’ calculations
• confidence, stress, motivation and wellbeing support and groups
• family wellbeing support

You can chose to access some or all of this support.

This programme is supported by the European Social Fund.

Ask us about THRIVE to Maximise

If you think THRIVE to Maximise could help you, use this form to contact our Learning and Employability team.

You can also call the team on 01786 237 517.

If you have a long-term health condition or a disability, we can help you to access paid employment.

How our supported employment programme works

If you get this type of support, a case manager will speak to you about your:

• health
• skills and experience
• training and employment goals

Health support

You can then access the range of specialist health support that we provide in partnership with NHS Forth Valley. This support can include:

• health checks
• stress management
• counselling
• functional and cognitive assessments
• advice about managing long-term health conditions

Employability support

You can also get tailored, one-to-one employability support.

This can include support that focuses on getting ready for employment, such as:

• help with building your confidence and self-esteem
• training on basic IT skills
• access to specialist money advice
• advice on improving your career options or creating links with local employers
• access to work experience placements and volunteering opportunities
• access to Modern Apprenticeships

It can also include support that focuses on finding and keeping a job, such as:

• ‘job matching’ that helps you find suitable vacancies
• help with job applications and interview techniques
• support to get the skills, training or certification you need to take up a job offer or get a promotion
• help with finding and funding childcare so you can access training or employment
• help with travel costs so you can attend training and job interviews
• help with getting clothes for an interview or a new job
• support with settling into a new job

Ask us about supported employment

If you think supported employment could help you, use this form to contact our Learning and Employability team.

You can also call the team on 01786 237 517.