The PURE Project supports people with complex barriers towards education, training and employment. Now in it’s third phase, we’ve worked with more than 5,000 people across Birmingham to build confidence, develop new skills and find exciting opportunities.
The project is a genuine partnership that brings people and organisations together. It is managed by Birmingham City Council, delivered by six specialist community partners, and is funded by the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
We also work closely with employers, care providers, social workers and commissioners to make sure each individual has the personal support they need.
For more information, to self-refer or for a casual chat to see how we can help, reach us on:
We’ve got a big event coming up in early December at Aston Villa. There’s going to be a Skills and Jobs fair with more than 70 employers and skills providers to talk to and fun interactive sessions. You can also chat with the PURE team and people who’ve used the scheme – we’ll be there.
We’re also hosting the next meeting of the Pledge, bringing together more than 200 leaders from business, the public sector, academia and charities. If your organisation is passionate about inclusion, we hope to see you there.
Get your FREE tickets here: https://pure.zohobackstage.eu/PureExpo
The PURE Project is focused on helping people over 18 who face barriers that make it hard to find employment. Barriers include:
Our providers have a lot of expertise providing personalised support to people with multiple and complex barriers. If you aren’t sure if PURE is right for you, please get in touch.
The PURE Project provides personalised and continuous support.
Each participant is matched with one of our specialist providers, who are experts in providing one-to-one support to people with specific barriers. Together you'll discuss your ambitions and aspirations, and map out the path towards education, training or employment that works for you.
The focus of the support will include confidence building, skill development and finding new opportunities together. This could include support with:
We’ll discuss what’s right for you and go at your pace.
We also work with large and small employers, helping them see the value our participants bring and how best to support them once they’re working.
Discover some of the opportunities on offer using the PURE Employment Board (free sign up required).
We work closely with local and national employers in Birmingham, helping them create a more inclusive workspace for people with complex needs.
We have just launched the PURE Employer Toolkit. This provides an overview of some of the different impairments and conditions potential recruits can have, and ideas for how employers can best support them.
Since its launch in 2019, the PURE Project has supported more than 5,000 people.
Many inspiring stories have emerged of individuals thriving as members of this programme. Note that names have been changed for anonymity, where appropriate.
With support from Midland Mencap, David enrolled on a Fircroft College course where he met Joe from Medequip. Joe interviewed David for a role in customer service. Despite the challenges in a customer-facing role, Joe felt David would suit the post well and was offered a position.
Watch David’s PURE Project journey with Midland Mencap, who support people with learning disabilities and additional needs. It is a wonderful story of how multi-partner support makes a huge impact.
Sherron from Handsworth was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2002. She did her best to stay employed for many years, but in 2015 a lack of support made it difficult to find new opportunities. Since joining the PURE Project through our provider, BID Services, Sherron has secured three interviews. Here's a quote from her about her experience:
"We have weekly zoom meetings [with BID], talk through our problems and talk about what we need. They help with CV writing, give advice on literature, podcasts and YouTube and do mock interviews."
Ricky joined the PURE project through GreenSquareAccord, who specialise in helping ex-offenders. With the support of the PURE project, Ricky signed up and completed a construction training course. The course gave him new confidence in himself and the skills he could bring. Here's his experience in his own words:
"The initial meeting was very good, we sat down and spoke and got to know each other, which led me to feel like I could trust her and she respected me. I did not feel discriminated against; she came with a non-judgemental approach. She saw me for who I was, and what my goals were."
Laura came to PURE for support in improving her English. Our provider Trident Reach referred her to a training course where she achieved her ESOL English. This course improved her confidence to apply for jobs, and she was then given employability support and interview coaching. Laura later secured an interview at a famous hotel and lovers her new role as a porter.
The PURE Project provides intensive support to inactive and unemployed citizens who have complex and multifaceted needs, such as learning disabilities/difficulties, mental health conditions, and physical and sensory disabilities, as well as those experiencing homelessness.
The support is open to vulnerable adults aged 18 to working age (65) who are economically inactive and have health conditions preventing them from employment. There are simple criteria to be eligible for the PURE Project:
Inactive individuals are those not actively looking for work and are generally the furthest away from the labour market.
If you want to participate or know more, please email us: BirminghamPURE@birmingham.gov.uk.
Please print, fill in and send us the referral form in the link below to apply for the project. We'll then get back to you as soon as we can.
If you would like to talk to someone about the project, you can:
