Recruitment support for employers

Apr 3 2007 By The Journal

JohnHutton, Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, recently announced that Tyne & Wear city region was one of 15 successful cities and towns across the UK that will be given greater flexibility to respond to the recruitment and training needs of local businesses.

A City Region Employment Consortium has been created and includes the following partners from key public, private and voluntary organisations: One NorthEast, Government Office North East, Local Authorities, Jobcentre Plus, Learning and Skills Council North East, Strategic Health Authority, Voluntary Organisations North East as well as the North East Employer Coalition (NEEC).

REMOVING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT

This exciting new partnership will be responsible for developing and delivering 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 barriers that prevent people moving from welfare dependency into worthwhile employment opportunities.

Shona Duncan has been recently appointed to lead the consortium to address employers' recruitment and skills needs through establishing partnerships that will ensure residents in the city region are well prepared to access the jobs on offer.

Shona started her career in private sector recruitment and has spent the last few years at South Tyneside Council where she developed strong local and sub-regional partnerships to assist local employers to recruit residents.

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.

MORE EFFECTIVE SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYERS

John Harrison, elected mayor of North Tyneside, said: "North Tyneside welcomes the award of this pathfinder status to the city region that will enable the joining up of policy and delivery in this crucial area of regeneration and employment.

"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 North East Employer Coalition is central to this partnership and 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.

A SHIFT IN ATTITUDE

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.

The Government is to provide initial set up costs, which are matched by One NorthEast, to establish the Consortium. The Consortium will also have the Deprived Area Funds currently managed by Jobcentre Plus available to them.

In addition, if targets agreed with Government are achieved, then the city region would become eligible for additional funding that would be re-invested into local services and priorities.

VIABLE RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS TO BUSINESS

Chris Thompson, chairman of the NEEC, has welcomed the City Strategy development.

He said: "This is an excellent opportunity for the North East Employer Coalition to play a significant role in city regions. It will work with and influence employers and key partners to help put an end to welfare dependency, whilst at the same time offer viable recruitment solutions to businesses."

If you would like further information on the work of the Tyne and Wear City Region Employment Consortium, please contact Shona Duncan or Mark Barrett on (0191) 219-2050.