The future of employability in Newcastle

Apr 3 2007 By The Journal

Engaging with employers effectively will be crucial to the success of a new company, which counts Newcastle City Council, Newcastle Partnership and the North East Chamber of Commerce as members.

Newcastle Futures has been established to provide counselling for people without work in Newcastle and help the co-ordination of a range of support delivered by different private and voluntary providers.

The partnership represents a fundamental shift from a competitive system to a collaborative system where providers can work together for the benefit of customers and not compete for outputs.

Gillian Hewitson, who has a wealth of experience in developing effective employment and recruitment initiatives, has been appointed chief executive to the company which employs 25 people, many of whom provide support to people on an outreach basis in communities.

Working with employers to fill vacancies with the right skilled people will also be a priority for the organisation.

Aims

* To deliver a significant improvement in employment rates among those of working age, with a particular focus on the most disadvantaged, especially benefits claimants, lone parents, older people and people from minority ethnic groups

* To ensure that individuals within these client groups are better able to find and remain in work

* To improve the skills of individuals within these client groups to enable them to progress once they are in work

* To rationalise funding arrangements as far as possible

* To simplify and reduce the targets associated with these funding streams; and

* Foster greater inter-agency co-operation, understanding of, and influence over, each other's objectives and spending decisions.

Gillian said: "Provision to help workless people into work in Newcastle to date has been disparate, fragmented and achieved limited impact. A vastly broader offer is now available to employers and individuals through Newcastle Futures Limited and partner delivery agencies."

For further information on Newcastle Futures please contact Gillian Hewitson on (0191) 230-2970.