Employment and skills
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Looking for Skills 4 Work Hampshire?
That programme has now closed but if you’re a Sovereign customer, you can access our employment and skills service (below). Skills 4 Work Isle of Wight is still open for applications.
Our Employment and Skills team offer a personalised service of guidance, support and practical help to any Sovereign resident looking to access training or work.
So whether you’re looking for a first job, would like to gain a qualification or are planning for the longer-term, get in touch by emailing employmentandskills@sovereign.org.uk.
Some of the ways they could help include:
- Resident grants to help you access training and work opportunities.
- Support with your CV.
- Finding the right job for you.
- Improving your interview skills.
- Completing successful application forms.
- Training and qualification opportunities.
- Digital skills support.
- Help with self-employment; business start-up and business resilience.
I already have a job, can the team help me find better work?
Yes, the team can also work with you to help you find better work or move your career forward. For some residents this can mean:
- Increasing their earnings through better pay or more hours.
- Finding more secure work (for example, moving away from zero hour or fixed-term contracts).
- Finding work closer to home to reduce travel costs or to fit around caring for children or family members.
- Changing to a sector where there are good career progression opportunities for higher paid or higher skilled jobs.
If you’d like to get in touch to see how the team might be able to help you, then please email the team or call 0300 5000 926 and ask to speak to the Employment and Skills team.
Resident grants
As part of our Thriving Communities strategy 
, we’re delighted to offer four employment and training grants for Sovereign residents to give access to training, skills and employment opportunities, whatever your work goal.
To apply, you need to be working with one of our Employment and Skills Officers, so please email the team for more information.
We also have employment and skills grants for community projects through The Good Exchange and Crowdfunder.
- What’s the grant for? To support you to access training and qualifications that will help you find a job or better job.
- How much is the grant for? Up to £500
- What’s the grant for? To help remove financial barriers for starting a new job or work placement, or if you’re struggling to stay in work due to a short-term financial barrier. You can also apply if you are returning to work from furlough.
- How much is the grant for? Up to £250, which can be used to fund a range of costs from travel, equipment, to work clothes.
- What’s the grant for? To help you launch or grow and develop your own business.
- How much is the grant for? Up to £1,000. Before you apply, you will need a business plan. Our Business Enterprise Officer can support you to put one together if needed.
- What is the grant for? To support you with direct childcare costs (to registered childcare providers) to either start work, a work placement or complete a training course
- How much is the grant for? Up to £750 to help cover registration and/ or direct childcare fees.
Employment and training programmes
We work with a range of partners to create, fund and deliver projects that help our communities access employment, skills and training opportunities.
Skills 4 Work is a completely free, 1-2-1 employment support and coaching programme. It's open to Isle of Wight residents.
Run by our partner Enterprise Cube , Strive Live is an online course for Sovereign residents who are budding entrepreneurs.
We’ve partnered with Women’s Work Lab (WWL) to offer mums living in our homes and the wider community in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath, Bridgwater, Weston Super Mare and Taunton the opportunity to apply for a free employability course.
The 12 week WWL programme is open to mums aged 19+, receiving state benefits, who are looking to find meaningful work.
The school hours programme involves part-time classroom-based training and work placements.