Routes to Work Celebrates Employability Support on ERSA Employability Day 2026
- Jun 26
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 29
Today is ERSA Employability Day 2026 and this year's theme 'We Get Britain Working' and the commitment to meeting the government's ambition to reach an 80% employment rate is important to us as North Lanarkshire's leading employability support provider.
Every day our caseworkers, trainers and wider team show up for people across North Lanarkshire who are facing some of the biggest challenges of their lives. Today, we want to shine a light on some of those stories because behind every job offer, every qualification, and every fresh start is a person who made the courageous decision to take a step forward and a team that was right there with them.
Here is what we have put together for ERSA Employability Day 2026. This includes good news stories from our clients who have navigated different challenges such as isolation, poor health and finding a job after leaving school, input from one of the employers we are partnered with, thoughts from Routes to Work colleagues on employability support and a message from our Chief Executive Officer Kate Clark on ERSA Employability Day 2026
Deborah's Story: From Isolation to Being Work Ready
For a long time, chronic pain, mobility problems and trauma made everyday life feel impossible for Deborah. The isolation that came with her condition had become its own barrier and the idea of getting back into work felt distant.
Deborah got in touch with Routes to Work and her caseworker Sharon started to put together a plan of action and support to help her at her own pace. Through a referral to an external therapeutic partner working alongside Routes to Work, Deborah began to learn how to deal with her chronic pain and take steps toward better wellbeing. She was also enrolled in a course to help deal with her anxiety and enrolled in our STEPS to Excellence programme, delivered by our in-house training team. This is a personal development programme designed to help people change their thinking, beliefs and self image and focuses on mindset, goal setting and setting positive habits to achieve better results in not just work but life in general.
What followed was a transformation and Deborah is starting to find the 'old her' again and is now very enthusiastic to get back into work.
You can watch her full story here:
Charlie's Story: Landing Her Dream Job After School
When Charlie was leaving school, she wasn't completely sure of what she wanted to do, but she had a keen interest in the construction industry and painting and decorating. However, this was seen as being "a man's job" during her time at school.
Charlie came to us through the Pathways programme, facilitated by North Lanarkshire Council, which connects young people with the right support at the right time to build their employability and skills through training and work placements.
Her caseworker Laura worked closely with her to build a strong CV from scratch and opened doors to employers in the construction sector. When an opportunity arose at Mears, one of our valued employer partners, Laura encouraged Charlie to go for it.
She did and she stood out among more than 2,000 applicants to land the job.
Charlie's story is a reminder of what focused, personalised employability support in North Lanarkshire can achieve when a young person is given the right tools and someone who genuinely believes in them.
You can watch her full story here:
Louise's Story: A Route Back to a Better Life
Louise's story shows how much can change when someone gets the right support at the right time.
After suffering a spinal stroke in 2016, Louise spent nine months in hospital and coming home meant adjusting to life in a wheelchair and learning how to be a mum again after months away from her son. For a long time she felt stuck as she had been out of work for years, her confidence was worn down and she struggled to travel independently. Some days, she stayed in her pyjamas because getting ready felt pointless when there was nowhere to go.
She wanted things to change and she just wasn't sure where to start. That began to shift when Louise came across Routes to Work at a community event in Wishaw and started working with her caseworker, Jane. Now she is currently on a work placement!
You can read more about Louise's story and how Routes to Work supported her here
A Word from our Employer Partner: City and County Healthcare
We're proud to work alongside some brilliant employers in North Lanarkshire who share our commitment to give residents the opportunity to make sure they achieve success in work and in life.
Here's a snippet of what City and County Healthcare had to say about their experience working with us:
"We've had lots of people, since the past year, get started in work with us. It's (Routes to Work) a really beneficial service."
You can watch our video with City and County Healthcare here and if you're an employer looking to find great people and make a real difference in your community, we'd love to hear from you.
The Routes to Work Team on Why Employability Support Matters
We asked some Routes to Work colleagues on why they think employability support matters.
There were some fantastic answers amongst everyone who was asked and from different areas of the business which all play a part in helping our clients achieve a better life and providing different and better employability support in North Lanarkshire and beyond.
You can see what Routes to Work colleagues had to say in the video below:
A Message From Our CEO Kate Clark
The employability landscape in Scotland right now is one of real complexity. Demand for support is growing, barriers are becoming more diverse and the need for truly person-centred services has never been greater. At Routes to Work, we've built our entire model around meeting people where they are and not where it's convenient for us.
We spoke with our Chief Executive Officer Kate Clark on why we celebrate ERSA Employability Day, meeting the government's target of an 80% employment rate, the challenges that Routes to Work and other organisations who offer employability support are facing in the current times and the key focuses that Routes to Work have for the years ahead.
You can see what Kate has to say in the video down below:
Feedback On Our Employability Support
To sign off on ERSA Employability Day 2026, here is a snippet of what some of our clients, partners and colleagues had to say about Routes to Work and the work we do in providing employability support in North Lanarkshire and beyond!
Routes to Work is an employability charity that helps thousands of residents in North Lanarkshire get back on track with employability support, skills training, health and wellbeing support and financial guidance that helps people improve their quality of life and get into work, no matter where they are on their journey.
If you are based in North Lanarkshire, you can register and start your journey with us on the link below:
