The People and Work Unit is a Welsh charity and company founded in 1984 that works in partnership with various organizations. It has 4 full-time staff and runs several projects focused on skills development, education, health and community engagement. These include Build It for construction training, Chance to Learn for post-16 learning support, School Focused Communities for improving school attendance and achievement, and Dynamic Communities for community health and development. The organization aims to create opportunities for individuals and communities in Wales.

1. People and Work Unit
A Welsh charity and company
Founded in 1984
James Hall
Project Manager

2. Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point (pub. 2000)

3. Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point (pub. 2000)
Epidemics: little things can make a big difference

4. Working in partnership

5. Community

6. Community

7. Action Research Projects
4 full-time staff – a range of partners

8. Build It
Construction skills, environmental improvement, apprenticeships,
college, work and volunteering. 2012-13 – social enterprise?

9. Chance to Learn
16+ learning, college, university, mentoring, monitoring quality.
Family focus. Re-funded for three years from July 2012. Legacy?

10. School Focused Communities
Attendance, attainment and family involvement in learning
Refunded from for three years from October 2012. GCSE focus.

11. School Focused Communities
US statistics

12. Unemployment Rates by Highest
Qualification
Apr-June 2008 Apr-June 2010 Apr-June 2012
Wales UK Wales UK Wales UK
Degree 2.5 2.3 2.4 3.7 2.8 3.9
Higher Education 2.3 2.8 3.8 4.5 2.8 4.7
A-level/equiv. 2.5 4.2 7.2 7.1 8.5 7.6
GCSE/equiv. 6.1 6.7 11.4 10.3 10.1 10.8
Other qualification 7.0 7.8 15.0 11.2 13.1 11.3
No qualifications 12.6 10.8 21.8 15.2 20.7 16.7
Source: ONS (LFS)

13. Dynamic Communities
Health, well-being, fitness and sport leading to family and
community development. Three years from April 2012. Five areas.

14. Example of creating
opportunities
 Glyncoch health advocate project – Physical activity
 Initial delivery of Walk & Talk by qualified staff
 Individual participated with common interest
 Opportunity to lead by providing training and support
 Opportunity to delivery training by tutor training and support

15. Engaging earlier
 In a survey that we undertook this year, we
found that 20% of pupils enter secondary
school with a reading age below nine
years and six months, which is generally
considered the level of functional literacy,
and a further 20% have a reading age that
is between six and 18 months below their
age. In secondary school, these pupils do not
always catch up.
Ann Keane, Chief Inspector
Estyn report 2010-11

16. Albert Einstein
 “If you want your children to be intelligent, read
them fairy tales. If you want them to be more
intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
 “It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal
education.”

17. Diolch! Thanks!
 www.peopleandworkunit.org.uk
 www.facebook.com/pawu1984
 james.hall@peopleandworkunit.org.uk
 www.slideshare.net/peopleandworkunit