© Jets Foundation Site Map Terms & Conditions Privacy Design by Mortimer* Video Our Partners Jets Foundation PO Box 3594, Chester CH1 9JP Tel: 01244 302010  Fax: 01244 300266 Contact Us Follow Us! Power Forward The Cheshire Jets and Job centre plus celebrated a successful end to their ten week re-employment programme. Cheshire Jets graduates who had successfully taken part and completed the Jets self penned Power Forward programme met with job center plus employees at the weekend for an evening of celebration. The graduates of the scheme were invited along to a presentation evening and corporate hospitality at the Northgate Arena before the Jets professional game to celebrate eight out of 16 long term unemployed who had originally signed up to the scheme securing full time employment. Over ten consecutive weeks Jets Head Coach Paul Smith delivered 'Power Forward' a motivational training course to 16 men and women over the age of twenty five in the Chester area, who have been unemployed for more than 6 months. The aim of the programme was ultimately to find jobs for the 16 people who had been put forward by Job Centre Plus  to attend the course by developing the participant's confidence and skills such as improved communication, interview technique and the ability to work as part of the team. Carole Walton from Cheshire, Halton & Warrington Partnership Coordinator - Job Centre Plus Runcorn attended the presentation she said; "Job centre plus have been very impressed with the planning, organising and delivery of the Power Forward programme. Paul Smith's coaching and corporate background has been an asset to the facilitation; the participants have fed off his enthusiasm and practical approach throughout the whole programme. Paul has enabled the group to become a unique team that has gone on to achieve success and identify their own potential and transferable skills to The Best of Chester Employer Forum.  Whatever was initially agreed was delivered promptly by the Jets team, no additional intervention from JCP was required."  As part of the course attendees were asked to create, develop and run a networking event at a Cheshire Jets home match. Organising  the event involved tasks such as developing an effective marketing strategy, developing a logo, developing a schedule for the evening and identifying which businesses they wished to invite as their guests to the event. Each participant on the programme also selected a two week work placement from a range of businesses across Chester with the help of local networking business thebestofchester. Paul Daniels owner of thebestofchester showed his support for the programme by helping to build relationships and forge the two week placements with members of thebestofchester. Paul Smith added "I was very impressed with the structure and the execution of the Power Forward Program.  The participants were clearly motivated by the structure and the delivery of the program; it was evident that it supported them to develop their confidence and self esteem.  Several of the participants engaged in work placements with members of thebestofchester to help them rediscover the day to day demands of work; feedback from our members was overwhelming positive. "