Supporting Your Organisation with Skills, Employment & Inclusive Recruitment in Kingston

Kingston Voluntary Action is committed to helping our local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations strengthen their workforce, grow their capacity, and create inclusive opportunities for residents. Below you’ll find a range of free resources, programmes and local partnerships you can tap into—whether you’re developing staff and volunteers, offering work experience, or supporting residents into employment.

A simple signposting from your charity can help someone move closer to sustainable work or training.

1. Career Ally Kingston

Career Ally Kingston is a new RBK initiative designed to enhance skills and employment conversations and help signpost residents to local support.

The Career Allies programme - delivered by career coaching experts Stay Nimble in partnership with Kingston Adult Education, Navigatr (WorkSkills Kingston) and Kingston Council, is here to support the vital work you already do. Whether you are answering questions about exploring work, CVs or job applications, this CPD-certified micro-credential provides a professional coaching framework to make those conversations even more effective.

Career Allies offers fully funded, CPD‑certified training to help frontline staff (e.g. social prescribers, work coaches, school career advisers, community link workers, council colleagues and volunteers) to better support residents with careers, skills and employment conversations.

Become a Certified Career Ally | Stay Nimble I KAE

2. Skills & Employment Support for Your Staff, Volunteers and Participants

The Royal Borough of Kingston Skills & Employment Hub brings together programmes, training and career‑development resources that organisations can embed into their own volunteer, placement or work‑experience pathways.

What you can access:

  • Free career coaching residents can use while volunteering or working with your organisation
  • Programmes supporting skills development, employability and confidence-building
  • Opportunities to connect participants with high‑quality work experience or training placements

Explore the RBK Skills & Employment webpages

3. Business Support for Charities & Social Enterprises in Kingston

The RBK Business Support Hub brings together advice, funding opportunities and local enterprise support. Although designed for businesses, many resources also benefit VCSE organisations—especially those exploring sustainability, growth, or social enterprise models.

What’s available:

  • Business advice and guidance
  • Access to occasional funding streams
  • Support from partners including:
    • GLA
    • Kingston Chamber of Commerce
    • Kingston First
    • Kingston University

Pages also include a signup for Kingston’s business newsletter so you can stay informed about opportunities that may help your organisation.

Explore RBK Business Support

4. Inclusive Recruitment: Kingston Contacts & Resources

A comprehensive Kingston Contacts & Resources for Inclusive Recruitment directory has been created to help organisations engage with local partners who can support with:

  • Finding candidates or volunteers
  • Offering high‑quality work experience
  • Enhancing your own staff training and upskilling
  • Creating early‑career pathways or outreach activities
  • Connecting with schools, colleges and employment programmes

Your organisation is welcome to use any of these contacts and programmes.

Kingston Contacts & Resources for Inclusive Recruitment Jan 2026 

Want Support Embedding Any of These Into Your Programmes?

Please contact:

Cameron King
Skills and Employment Programme Lead
cameron.king@kingston.gov.uk

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Guildhall 2
High Street
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 1EU
Kingston Employment and Skills support pages