Jamie's Computers - a back to work project

The Society of St James has been running for 35 years and provides supported accommodation, substance misuse services and home support.

Jamie's Computers started about four years ago, because a need had been identified to provide meaningful occupation for the service users. The Society wanted to start a 'work' project that would help clients begin to rebuild confidence, build routine and develop new skills.

Jamie's Computers is a Social Enterprise division of The Society of St James. It provides environmentally and socially responsible services to the public and local business community, and the income raised goes towards continuing the work of the charity.

The core aim is to provide learning and training to the client group. Providing these opportunities has been made possible by various funding streams, but in addition to funding, Jamie's has developed the commercial aspect of the project, not only to provide work based training, but also in a bid to become self-funding.

Through partnerships with local service providers, Jamie's now caters for a wide range of people across Southampton, including those with mental health issues, offending histories, substance misuse issues and the long-term unemployed.

Jamie's offers learning and training opportunities to these service users in a progressive and dynamic environment designed to develop IT skills and confidence and learners have access to:

• Information, advice and guidance
• Courses and workshops, including OCN, Developing a Personal Learning Programme and Using ICT
• And, work based learning in a commercially driven warehouse and workshop

The commercial services which provide this work based learning opportunity include computer re-use and recycling, and IT sales.

Jamie's provide a collection and disposal service to local businesses for all their unwanted IT, and the public can visit the city centre facility to drop off equipment. Trainees work in this area to develop work ethic and skills and become involved warehousing, delivery and collection rounds, fork truck operating and admin. From the 100+ tonnes collected each year and saved from landfill, machines suitable for re-use are identified, tested, serviced and configured in the refurbishment workshop, which provides learners with a further training opportunity. The completed machines are then sold on, providing a third area of work based learning - retail.

Through these client services, Jamie's has provided opportunities to over 500 learners. They have also hosted approximately 20 paid work placement schemes, with learners moving on either to employment, or volunteering opportunities elsewhere, and two work placements are now on permanent employment contracts with Jamie's itself.

The most important developments seen with all clients learning at Jamie's is the improved self esteem and confidence, particularly those on work based learning who contribute to the daily running of the project and witness their hard work paying off! Another part of what is learned, is work ethic. Some of the learners have been out of employment for several years, even decades, and the workplace has changed significantly over that time. Jamie's can help learners to get to grips with what is expected in the workplace in terms of conduct, as well as, and more importantly, rebuild the structure and routine that comes with maintaining employment.

For more information visit Jamie's website.