Rural Jobs Platform keeps moving forward

It’s been a busy few months since our last update. The Rural Jobs Platform has moved forward on several fronts — more testing, a new partnership with QTS, fresh funding secured, and a growing list of organisations who want to get involved. Here’s where things stand.

Sharing the work

One of the most valuable things we’ve done over the past few months is get out and talk to people. Getting the platform in front of the right eyes early means we can keep building something that actually works for the people who will use it.

We’ve shared what we’re working on at a number of events and meetings, including:

• The Alnwick Playhouse, as part of a celebration event for the Rural Asset Multiplier Programme

• The Work Smart Live Well Network Launch

• Meetings with Bernicia and Karbon housing associations

• Conversations with people working in employment support, DWP, and the QTS Social Value Steering Group

• Local Authority groups

These conversations have been really helpful. They’ve opened doors, surfaced new ideas, and confirmed that the problems we’re trying to solve are very much real.

Jamie from the Rural Design Centre sharing the Rural Jobs Platform work at Alnwick Playhouse

Workshops with Bernicia and Karbon

We ran workshops with both Bernicia and Karbon to dig into how the platform could work alongside the employment support they offer to their tenants. Both organisations work with people at various stages of moving into or back into work, and there’s a clear opportunity to join things up. The conversations were productive and are feeding directly into the next iteration of the platform.

Usability testing across Northumberland

Testing with real people, in real contexts, has always been central to how we build. Over recent months we’ve run usability sessions with:

• Job Centre staff and job seekers

• People undertaking construction work training

• Students and staff at Blyth Academy

• Groups in Morpeth, including The King Edward VI School

Each testing session has given us something useful. We’ve been summarising insights, carrying out desk research to understand established patterns, and translating all of that into a clear set of recommended changes. Most of those have already been implemented into the development work, with more to come in the next few sprints.

A new workstream: A QTS version

After sharing our initial proof of concepts with QTS , they came back to us with a request to develop a white label version of the platform to support their own and their contractors recruitment activity.

This sits squarely within their social value work, and will help QTS and their contractors connect with people interested in the roles they have now and those coming up at Cambois.

We’re starting with a ‘Register Your Interest’ form — developed from prototype through to a working, tested product. When someone completes the form, their details are captured and passed on appropriately, so no one who puts their hand up falls through the cracks.

The register your interest form is due to go live in the coming months.

Alongside this, we’ve been working with Northumberland County Council to understand and confirm the support services that will sit alongside the QTS Register Your Interest service — making sure that people have the right wrap-around support at the right time. There’s a workshop with the Council teams next month, and that will help to shape how the enquiries can turn into real employment support and ultimately jobs for people in our region.

Working with Layers Studio

We’ve brought in Layers Studio to take the prototypes and proof of concepts and develop them into robust, production-ready software.

We’re working in sprints, developing the platform one element at a time, and getting expert input on the best technical approach — one that works not just for the QTS work, but for the wider Rural Jobs Platform as it grows.

Usability testing with NICA

Accessibility has always been a non-negotiable for us. We’re now working with NICA (the National Innovation Centre for Ageing) as part of their Internet of Caring Things initiative to carry out usability testing with people who use assistive technology. This method of testing will make sure the platform works well for everyone — not just those who are already comfortable with digital tools.

A potential new collaboration: Land and Nature Skills Service (LANSS)

We’ve been in conversation with LANSS about adapting our Skills Matcher for their context.

We shared an early version with them, updated it based on their feedback, and are now looking at how we might fund a beta and then a live version for them. Watch this space.

Funding update

Funding is always the thing that determines what’s possible, so it’s good to report that things are moving in the right direction. We have:

• Secured funding from the North East Social Finance Fund

• Funding coming through QTS as part of their social value commitment

• Funding coming through NICA’s Internet of Caring Things initiative

This gives us a solid foundation to keep building, testing and rolling out the platform and service.

What’s next

There’s plenty still to do, including:

• Finalising privacy agreements and GDPR messaging

• Testing and launching the job seeker and employer landing pages

• Organising a show and tell with the employability network

• Working out how the Job Matcher connects with the live Job Listings

• Launching the Register Your Interest form

• Further testing of the Inclusive Job Advert Creator within the built environment sector

The platform is getting more real with every sprint. There’s still a lot to figure out, but the direction is clear and the momentum is building.

A big thank you to everyone who’s given their time to be tested, interviewed, workshopped, or consulted — none of this moves forward without you.