Support for job seekers

Did you know? Our council offers a range of supports for jobseekers.

While these opportunities are primarily aimed at job seekers and prospective candidates rather than existing employees, we recognise that many colleagues may have customers, friends, family members, or others in their communities who are looking for work and could benefit from this support. Please share this information with anybody you feel may benefit from these supports.

Free rail travel for job seekers

Individuals registered with Jobcentre Plus may be eligible for discounted rail travel to support their job search, including:

• two free return train journeys to attend job interviews
• one month of free travel after securing employment

More information is available from ScotRail: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/railcards/jobcentre-plus-travel-discount-card-scheme

Interview clothing and preparation support for women

There are also organisations that provide free interview clothing, confidence building and interview preparation support for women seeking employment.

 Dress for Success Scotland

• professional interview clothing
• career development and interview support

https://scotland.dressforsuccess.org/about-us/what-we-do/

Smart Works Scotland

• high-quality interview clothing
• one-to-one interview coaching and preparation

https://scotland.smartworks.org.uk/

These services are available to support women who are preparing for interviews or returning to work, helping to reduce barriers to employment and promote greater equality of opportunity.

East Lothian Works

East Lothian Works is our employability service working with East Lothian residents. Services include job search support, interview preparation, sector specific training and qualifications. The teams offered targeted support for young people who have left school and parents as well as adults looking to return to work or upskill. Please contact elworks@eastlothian.gov.uk for further information.

Keeping the Promise - national advisor visits East Lothian

Fiona Duncan, the Independent Strategic Advisor – the promise recently visited East Lothian to find out how the promise is being kept here in East Lothian, including:

• what is working well, and why
• what is proving harder to achieve, and why

The promise, made in 2020, is that all of Scotland’s children and young people will grow up loved, safe and respected - so that they will realise their full potential.

Over 80 recommendations

This was made following the Independent Care Review, which spoke to over 5,500 children and adults with experience of care and members of the paid and unpaid workforce. The Care Review, which was chaired by Fiona Duncan, set out over 80 recommendations on what must be done to overhaul the ‘care system’.

Scotland's then First Minister promised that that the country would implement these recommendations in full, by 2030. That commitment got the support of all the Scottish Parliament, local government, COSLA, corporate parents, the wider public sector, charitable sector, private service providers and others.

Strategic direction

Following the promise being made, Fiona Duncan became the Independent Strategic Advisor. She sets the strategic direction and culture of all work to keep the promise, chairs The Promise Scotland, sustains relationships with Ministers, and gives advice to those who require it.

Fiona’s meeting here is one of 32 she is having across this year. The meetings will help to ensure that local change informs and contributes to national change.

Watch a video from Fiona's visit.

Following the final catch up Fiona will be producing a series of mini reports, linked to Plan 24-30 route maps and the Promise Story of Progress. The mini reports will be her reflections and perspectives on what she has heard. The aim will be to help overcome the barriers, and ensure that where good practice is happening, it can be replicated.

Plan 24-30 is a shared planning framework for Scotland to keep the promise by 2030. It is made up of two parts:

• 25 route maps, which turn the vision of the promise into a deliverable plan by creating clear, measurable outcomes with timebound milestones.
• The Promise Story of Progress, which supports understanding of progress and impact, by answering three questions around:
  • national change (what is shifting over time)
  • organisational learning (how change is happening)
  • the impact on the care community (how change is being felt)

Working hard every day

Fiona said: “I know that there are thousands of people out there working hard every day to keep the promise. But I also know that this can be against a difficult backdrop of slow structural and system change. Being able to hear from them, learn from them, and share that is so important.

“We are over halfway to when the promise must be kept, there is not a minute to waste in creating change, so it’s vital that good practice can be replicated, and barriers can be understood and overcome.”

Find out more: https://www.plan2430.scot/ 

New active travel route set for Prestonpans

A new active travel route to provide safer and more accessible walking, wheeling and cycling between Prestonpans and West Pans is set to begin construction in the New Year.

Made possible by £1.5 million in funding from the Scottish Government, our project will improve connections to local communities, services, public transport and the wider active travel network.

Alongside this work, improvements will take place within Levenhall village to widen the pavements and create better crossing points for pedestrians.

Since its inception in 2024, the scheme has evolved following extensive engagement with residents, businesses, community groups, and public transport operators.

Feedback received during consultation helped shape the final design, with particular attention given to maintaining bus access, minimising impacts on traffic, preserving local views and ensuring the route is suitable for people of all ages and abilities.

Climate change objectives

The final design for the West Pans to Prestonpans Active Travel Route includes:

• improved walking, wheeling and cycling facilities along the B1348 corridor from West Pans to Prestongrange Road, Prestonpans
• a new Toucan crossing for pedestrians and cyclists in Prestonpans, close to the Bowling Club
• enhanced links and infrastructure improvements between Levenhall roundabout and Prestonpans
• connections to National Cycle Network Route 76 and the John Muir Way along with the proposed Musselburgh Active Toun scheme
• improved access to bus stops and community facilities

We're developing and delivering the project in partnership with Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, with support from lead consultants AECOM. It will play an important role in expanding East Lothian's active travel network, helping to support meeting our climate change objectives.

Subject to final approvals and procurement processes, construction is expected to begin in January 2027 and continue for around four months. The work will be undertaken under traffic-light control for short stretches, and only one set of lights will be in operation at any time.

The finalised construction programme will be shared later this year.