David Ward, Regional Director, PPDG

May 18 2010 by Jez Davison, Evening Gazette

David Ward knows what it's like to be on the employment scrap heap. But signing on was the best thing he ever did. Jez Davison found out why.

WHEN David Ward returned from the Big Smoke to his native Teesside in 2000, his first task was to sign on the dole and at his local JobCentre.

Little did he know it would be the first step towards a high-profile public sector career managing 10 offices for award-winning welfare-to-work organisation Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG).

Under a Labour Government, with the country in recession and with jobless figures rising, you would think his position was fairly well secured.

But last year, he lost 70% of his North-east-based staff when 100% publicly funded PPDG missed out on a major Government contract.

Now, with the new Coalition getting ready to hack at the burdensome £163bn budget deficit through public funding cuts, there is no certainty that PPDG will escape the axe.

David’s belief is it would be political suicide to withdraw key funds at a time when the region’s unemployment rate is approaching one in ten (9.6%) - the third highest in the UK.

“If you place someone into work you are saving money for the public purse. Payments on outcomes is the best way to do it.”

With £13m of taxpayers’ money pouring into PPDG’s ten North-east and east-based offices this year, he’s not been afraid to set his team challenging targets.

The key aim is to match last year’s achievement of getting 40%-50% of clients back into work, and 60%-70% of young people into jobs or training.

That’s a tough ask, with PPDG’s North-east offices predicted to deal with 15,000 client this year and cash-strapped employers still not falling over themselves to recruit.

But there’s a social dynamic to David’s work which cannot be quantified by statistics alone.

“Much of our work is about integrating people back into society, helping them understand what benefits they’re entitled to and understanding their social circumstances.

“You have to light a spark with them. It’s not about pushing them into the first available job.”