With 2024 just around the corner, many people will be thinking about making a fresh start in the job market. Funke Imiruaye is an employer engagement officer in Islington Council’s iWork team. She talks about the work she does to support Islington residents into employment, training, and apprenticeships

What do you and the iWork team do?

The iWork team supports people in Islington into good local jobs, training, or apprenticeships, in all sorts of sectors – construction, health and social care, admin, facilities, security, customer service and many others. My job is to work with Islington employers and hiring managers to encourage them to employ locally, so we can provide residents with access to opportunities on their doorstep.

What sort of support do you offer?

We help people with their CVs, interviewing skills, job searching. The difference with our service is that it’s tailored to the individual’s needs. We take time to get to know people, their skills and interests. This helps us match them to good jobs, that they really want to do. Sometimes we refer people to other services to help them get the experience or skills they need, like English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, if English is not their first language, or we might help them find voluntary work, placement opportunities, or training.

Who can get help from the iWork team?

The service is for Islington residents. Within that, we have teams dedicated to supporting young people and people with disabilities or mental health issues. No matter your circumstances, we can help.

What’s the best thing about working for the iWork team?

I find it really rewarding. Often people will come to us with low confidence, unsure of their next steps. Watching the transition that people go through, seeing them rebuild their confidence, gain new skills and ultimately reach their goals is a brilliant thing to be a part of.

For example, a resident I can remember went through many interviews and was feeling unsure of herself. She kept going and with our support, eventually got a job working here at the council. I see her from time to time, it’s a lovely reminder of how we’re helping people make a positive change in their lives.

Contact iWork on 020 7527 2706 or email islingtonworking@islington.gov.uk

iWork is part of Islington Working: a partnership of agencies working together to help Islington residents access good local jobs. Register, search and apply for local jobs on the Islington Working website.

For young people aged 16–25, there are lots of services and tools available to help with education, planning the future and getting into work.

Islington Council’s Connecting Communities programme provides employment caseworkers to help people build confidence, skills and access local employment opportunities. To find out how they can help, contact them on 020 7527 2706. For more information, visit the Connecting Communities page on the council website.

For more information on finding a local job or training opportunity, including support for young people, visit the council website.

Sign up to the Islington Working bulletin for jobs and career information, training and employment support opportunities.