IEP Award in Employability Essentials

An Introduction to the Sector

This module looks at the history and role of employment support, outlines participant programs, identifies key stakeholders and explores the role of the practitioner within the sector.

The Participant Journey

This module supports practitioners in developing a more in-depth knowledge and understanding regarding key aspects of an employability program participant journey.

Participants and their Barriers

An exploration of the various participant groups who are referred to employability programs, it will define the types of barriers seen in participants and explore the model for support in assisting participants in overcoming these barriers on their journey within the employability program and beyond.

Caseload Management

A learning module which will provide practitioners with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage a potentially large caseload, while delivering excellence of service.

Sensory Impairment

This module provides an overview of the types and symptoms of sensory impairment and offers practitioners guidance on how to support programme participants with sensory impairments on their journey towards employment.

Learning Disabilities

This module focuses on learning disabilities and explores some of the reasons why employment amongst the working-age population living with learning disabilities is so low. It aims to provide practitioners with advice, guidance and practical solutions for supporting program participants with learning difficulties on their journey to finding and retaining work.

Physical Disability

This learning module focuses on physical disability. It aims to provide practitioners with an understanding of the different kinds of physical disability and how they can support people with physical disabilities in finding work.

Issue-Specific Barriers

The module aims to provide practitioners with an overview of many issue-specific barriers with advice and guidance on where to go for additional support.

Reasonable Adjustments

People with disabilities and health conditions face many barriers in finding and then sometimes keeping a job. This module aims to introduce the reasonable adjustments duty and highlight what it means for employers and employees.

An Introduction to Emotional Intelligence

This module introduces practitioners to the concept of emotional intelligence (EQ) and present ways they can build their own levels of EQ to help them develop both their professional and personal lives.

Developing Coaching Skills

Coaching is a big topic and this module is intended only as an introduction. On completion of this learning module you will understand what coaching is, appreciate the qualities of a good coach, and take away practical skills and interventions to use in your own role as a coach supporting participants on their journey towards work.

Writing an Effective CV

Research has shown that employers spend, on average, 5-7 seconds looking at each CV they receive for a vacancy. That’s a very small window of time to make a big impression. How then do you write a CV that will capture the attention of a recruiter and make them want to read on? This short course on effective CV writing explains it all.

Increasing Personal Impact

The relationship between a practitioner and a program participant is the foundation for helping them back to work. When the relationship is healthy, a practitioner can gently support and challenge a participant to help them overcome the barriers they face on their journey to employment. This module helps practitioners to increase their personal impact when working with program participants by using the ideas behind Transactional Analysis.

Employer Engagement

The role of a practitioner consists of many varied skills. One of the most critical skills is the ability to engage with employers to introduce and promote the services of program providers. This module will outline what effective employer engagement looks like, ways to source vacancies and win work, and the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for success.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

This learning module introduces the topic of mental well-being and mental health. It aims to provide practitioners with an understanding of what good mental health is and, for people who have experienced mental health conditions, how to support them on their journey towards employment.

Building Self-Resilience

Resilience is the ability to cope with, and rise to, the inevitable challenges and problems that we meet in the course of our work and life and come back stronger from them. This module aims to help practitioners and other participant-facing staff to understand the ways in which they can increase their personal resilience in order to enhance their impact on participants and to maintain their own well-being.

Self and Time Management

According to research in the field of occupational health, the more control that you perceive you have in your work, the more job satisfaction and less stress you are likely to experience. This module aims to help practitioners to better cope with the demands of their daily work by uncovering techniques for managing themselves and their time and, in doing so, increasing their effectiveness and productivity.

Disclosure

This learning module explores the two most common areas where participants wanting to apply for jobs might have concerns about disclosing information about themselves to prospective employers. These being sharing information with an employer about a mental health condition and the rules around disclosing a criminal record. This module aims to help practitioners feel knowledgeable and comfortable when helping programme participants to navigate the unsteady ground of disclosure.

Employment Law Basics

This short course introduces practitioners to the Equality Act 2010 and highlights the duties placed on employers to ensure that every individual is afforded an equal opportunity at finding and retaining work.