Pat Bend, Sales Manager at the Birmingham based Social Firm, Textiles by St Anne's, is celebrating an order from an International curtain company which she puts down to the Future Jobs Fund. Six of the employees are financed by the government initiative and the increased workforce gave Pat the opportunity to bid for larger contracts. Pat believes the hires also bring a positive work ethic and new skills base which their service users with mental health problems can aspire to. The Future Jobs Fund only supports employment for a period of six months so does raise the question of What Then? There are some concerns that the creation of these transitional jobs may lead to individuals finding themselves back on unemployment benefit after the six months if the permanent jobs aren't there to progress into. For Pat in the meantime, the chance to secure contracts on the back of the Future Jobs Fund may boost the business sufficiently to help with future opportunities.
Textiles by St Anne's celebrate
