What is Building Futures?

Building Futures is a free programme to help adults and young people across Buckinghamshire, are long-term unemployed or lacking opportunities to employment to secure training or volunteering opportunities or a job. A qualified professional will support you in understanding your goals and realising the steps to achieve them. Everyone’s plan is different and each meeting is led by you.

What does a Building Futures KeyWorker do?

A Building Futures keyworker will meet you in a comfortable environment of your choosing where you can feel relaxed. They will take the time to discuss your needs and work together with you to create a plan of action.

A variety of activities can occur from this point dependent on what you support you require:

  • Supportive activities: Using a framework of intensive support we will help you build your local labour market knowledge and gain the skills and confidence you need to move forward.

  • Life Skills: We understand a CV alone does not secure a job. We help you to develop skills to best utilise your CV, and present yourself positively in all situations and how to use social media to effectively search for job or volunteering opportunities.

  • Information and Guidance: Our experienced keyworkers use a variety of Information and Guidance techniques to help you challenge your goals, view the pros and cons of decisions and set realistic targets.

  • Finding Opportunities: Your keyworker will have a strong knowledge of the Local Labour Market, allowing them to support you in finding appropriate learning and employment opportunities.

  • Discretionary Fund: A discretionary fund is money that is available to help with items such as interview clothing or transport costs.  The opportunity to access the discretionary fund is available and an assessment made, for each request. 

How does this support differ from the job centre?

Building Futures is an intensive bespoke package, unique to each participant. You will be assigned a keyworker for the whole of the duration of your involvement with the project, who will work extensively with you to meet your goals.

The support provided by your Building Futures keyworker is specifically aimed at people who are Economically Inactive and may have had a barrier such as long term illness or caring responsibility which has meant they have been unable to look for work until now.

We provide:

  • Intensive Support: We are able to provide intensive support at regular intervals and at times that suit you.

  • Specialised partnerships: The diversity of partners means we have expertise to support various needs: i.e upskilling, reading difficulties, mental health issues, substance abuse and learning difficulties.

  • Accessibility: We are embedded in the local community and are able to meet you in a comfortable environment of your choice – library, café, etc

  • Group activities to increase wellbeing, basic skills and employability

How long will I be part of Building Futures?

We expect most people to complete their involvement within 6 months. The length of the journey depends on the support you need to reach your goals and how much time you can invest in completing the steps required.

When it is time for you to leave, all we ask is for you to complete the relevant documents so we can celebrate your success, which will help us to continue to help others.