Claire and Charli hit the ground running at Skills Hub

"It is a great team to be a part of and I share their ambition to help others and promote our work around Warwickshire. "

The Skills Hub team at Warwickshire County Council has welcomed two new members to help drive the broad range of schemes delivered by the hub across the county.

Claire Dougan has joined the team as Business Skills Advisor for the Fair Chance employment programme which aims to open up careers for people who have, for various reasons, yet to embark upon one.

Charli Carter recently became the Skills Hub's first apprentice and is already an important member of the admin team with a view to becoming a Project Officer.

Both have settled quickly into a team which offers a comprehensive range of support including Business Skills Reviews and Apprenticeship Support as well as numerous bespoke schemes including Fair Chance, Future Careers Filming and Let's Go Rural.

Claire has arrived with plenty of experience directly relevant to her role with the Fair Chance programme.

"It feels like a natural progression for me after working in a special school as Careers and Work Experience Coordinator," Claire said. "I am passionate about enabling people to achieve their potential and breaking down barriers by working together with employers to create opportunities.  

"I am very excited to be a part of the Skills Hub team and proud of the work that we do. The Fair Chance project is a wonderful way to support businesses to become more inclusive and diverse by looking at creating opportunities from untapped talent pools such as SEND , ex-military , refugee and resettlement, 50+, carers , care leavers and ex-offenders. "

Chloe Millage, WCC's Careers and Employability Programme Manager, said Claire has already made an impact.

"Claire has fitted into the team very well," she said. "She has been promoting the Fair Chance Employer Programme to a wide range of businesses in Warwickshire and outlining to them how it can benefit their workplace. We are really pleased to have Claire in the team."  

Meanwhile, Charli has also hit the ground running.

"I am very proud to be the first apprentice for the Warwickshire Skills Hub," she said. "I joined Warwickshire County Council in April after four years at Tesco where I was face to face with customers on a daily basis.

"I'm currently completing my Business Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship and hope to become a project officer after completion. My daily duties include meeting and greeting customers and employers and helping with administrative tasks including answering the phone. It is a great team to be a part of and I share their ambition to help others and promote our work around Warwickshire. "

WCC Employability and Skills Project Officer, Adele Lineker, said: "As Charli’s mentor, I can say she has really started to develop and come into her own since she joined us at the Warwickshire Skills Hub. Her apprenticeship will help develop her administrative and customer service skills and we are very excited to have her in the team."