New partnership to benefit region

Jun 12 2007 By The Journal

The City Region Employment Consortium has been set up in response to the Department of Work & Pensions recent announcement that £32m has been released to address employers' recruitment needs while reducing unemployment.

This new partnership includes partners from key public, private and voluntary organisations: One NorthEast, Government Office North-East, local authorities, Jobcentre Plus, Learning and Skills Council, Strategic Health Authority, voluntary organisations in the North-East and the North-East Employer Coalition (NEEC).

This exciting new partnership will co-ordinate, develop and deliver an employability strategy for the city region, building on and improving existing partnerships by co-ordinating support for jobless residents to enable them to find sustainable employment more easily.

It will enable much more flexible use of existing resources and funding to remove the barriers that prevent people moving from welfare dependency into worthwhile employment opportunities.

North Tyneside Council is the lead body for the consortium and will support the implementation of measures that will assist employers in the city region to recruit from a work-ready, locally-available workforce. Councillor Jim Allan, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "The support and recognition of devolution of policy to the city region will empower public and private sector partnerships to really make the difference. This can only be positive for the private sector to be sustained by provision of a ready, able and willing workforce."

A key feature of the consortium will be the opportunity for employers to play a vital role in the development of integrated recruitment and skills solutions. The consortium will be responsible for working directly with employers to help recruitment, skills and training demands. It will help to identify significant vacancies, working with employers and partners to outline specific recruitment needs and help develop customised solutions.

These solutions will then be used as models of best practice to help other employers in the sectors concerned. Working with Business Link and Sector Skills Councils will help identify future labour and skills requirements enabling funding partners to respond more rapidly and effectively. As a result, employers will be encouraged to adopt more inclusive recruitment and progression practices. It will help to effect a change in employers' attitudes towards recruiting from these previously untapped pools of labour.

In order to deliver this strategy, Donna Tate has joined the City Strategy Consortium Team from the NEEC as recruitment solutions manager to develop and co-ordinate employer engagement strategies that will strengthen existing partnerships with employers across the region; identify current and future labour market needs, and increase the numbers and range of participating employers. She will also work with employers to develop long-term relationships and identify ongoing recruitment needs.

Donna, has built up extensive experience in developing recruitment and training solutions for the region's employers whilst working for the Working Links organisation.

She said: "By working with employers and understanding their needs I was able to help identify relevant skills required for vacancies and feed this intelligence through local provider/training partnerships to ensure that interventions were adequately addressing individuals' and employers' needs".

The consortium has already established a good relationship with Northern Rock and is currently undertaking a development programme with the organisation to assist with its recruitment process.

Simon Woodley, of Northern Rock Personnel said: "Northern Rock is pleased to work with the Tyne & Wear City Region Employment Consortium and is actively supporting the initiative.

"Together we aim to work together to develop a framework that meets both the recruitment objectives of Northern Rock, the ambitions and goals of the initiative and career aspirations of clients in the North-East."

Howard Forrest, NEEC chief executive, said: "This is an excellent opportunity for the employment consortium team to start developing links with employers so that we can understand more fully their recruitment and training needs. We can then develop a combined agency approach to meet this demand."

Donna Tate is keen to engage with employers across the city region. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact her on (0191) 219-2050 or email donna.tate@northtyneside.gov.uk