As the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak escalates in St Helens, we want local business and people to know that we’re on hand, to help give local business and people support through the crisis.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and for the safety of both Chamber employees and members of the public, the Chamber’s buildings (including Clickworks, The Chamber Hair & Beauty Training Academy, The Chamber Construction Training Centre and their Liverpool office at Merseyside Youth Association) are now closed to the public. There is a skeleton staff in place at our Head Office for emergencies, and most services are still available with staff continuing to work to support local businesses and people remotely.
Kath Boullen, Chief Executive at St Helens Chamber, commented: “In these extraordinary circumstances, where everyday life is being impacted so profoundly, it has never been more important that we are here for our local community.
“Our whole team here at the Chamber has risen to the challenge of finding new ways of working so that we can continue to support our customers, whether they are businesses, students or local job seekers.
“While it may not quite be ‘business as usual’ I want to assure all our customers that we are still here for them during these difficult times.”
Support for businesses
St Helens Chamber’s business support team is on hand to advise local firms on the government support packages available to them and provide practical support with financial forecasting and planning. They are also providing regular feedback to local and central government, via British Chambers of Commerce, on business concerns and issues. Chamber Members also have access to additional, expert support with HR and legal issues arising.
A dedicated webpage, full of useful information and advice for businesses has been set up. Visit: https://www.sthelenschamber.com/business/coronavirus
To contact the business support team directly call 01744 742444 or email growthhub@sthelenschamber.com
Support for jobseekers and people facing redundancy
The Chamber’s Starting Point team is available to help those seeking employment or facing redundancy during these challenging times and has telephone appointments available with expert guidance advisers.
During telephone appointments they can offer support with:
- Searching and applying for work
- General career guidance
- Help with CV writing and interview skills
- Accessing funding after redundancy
- Booking onto free distance learning courses
To book a telephone appointment, please call on 01744 698800 or email info@thestartingpoint.org
We have also created a dedicated webpage where we are posting the latest advice and guidance on finding work and how to access any additional help the Government may be providing, as well as details of companies who are recruiting.
Visit: https://www.sthelenschamber.com/startingpoint/coronavirus-starting-point
Continued Access to Training
In line with the latest Government advice, the Chamber has now stopped all classroom-based delivery of training, however they are quickly adopting new ways of working in order to continue delivering their usual high quality training through distance learning.
Those currently undertaking Apprenticeships can continue to do so, as staff have all the tools they need to continue to support learning remotely.
People hoping to start an Apprenticeship in the future can still contact our Apprenticeships team, who will provide information by telephone. Call 01744 742045 or email apprenticeships@sthelenschamber.com
Where possible, the we are now offering remote training so you can still add valuable skills to your CV and stand out to employers looking for staff.
Courses currently planned to run remotely are:
- Digital Skills for Jobseekers (2nd April)
- Introduction to Digital Marketing (14th April)
- Microsoft Office Essentials (20th April)
- Level 2 Digital Marketing (21st April)
If you’d like to sharpen your digital skills, call Starting Point on 01744 698800 or email info@thestartingpoint.org to register for a course.
