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Job Centre Plus wants to work together with partners to improve the job prospects for people and communities facing the most complex and intractable barriers to employment.

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How to apply or for more information contact Derek Russell on Tel: 01786 432 698 / 07981682938
Email derek.russell@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk for an application form.

As Employers take on a more central role in the economic recovery of Edinburgh, employment support agencies are also increasing how they interact with employers. Here we profile how the Community Benefit Clause and the Employer Offer are leading the way.

Capital Skills is the City of Edinburgh Council’s vocational training centre. Based within Inch Park, it delivers training programmes for those that are eligible for Get Ready for Work or Training for Work.

“Employers are central to the success of our training”, explains Manager Bob Rudge, “and it is a necessary part of what we do in order to progress our trainees”. The development of the Community Benefit Clause has been a major boost to Capital Skills. The Clause, where large companies engaged in major projects in the city commit to linking with local agencies for the good of the community, includes offering up work experience. “It has given us better links with several major companies, the most notable of these with Sir Robert McAlpine where several trainees have been given the opportunity of progressing into sustainable employment. The main benefit of working with employers is that it gives the trainees the opportunity to show what hard and soft skills they have developed and that they can prove themselves to be a worthwhile addition to the employer”.

Andrew Day, Community Liaison Manager at Sir Robert McAlpine is also keen to highlight the success of this approach. “We are very pleased to have supported this scheme and been able to take on these trainees as new entrants. We have had support from our subcontractor P C Harrington who have also taken on two trainees. The quality of trainee has been excellent. They have all responded ‘to the world of work’ with enthusiasm and have a ‘willing to learn’ attitude”.

There are other examples of new approaches to engaging with employers, such as the Employment Offer. This is a free service to employers to help them recruit staff from the Joined Up for Jobs network. The retail giant, Primark, is due to open an Edinburgh store by Christmas 2011. While an eagerly waited addition to the Edinburgh shopping experience, the new Primark store has also opened up an opportunity for the Joined up for Jobs sector to engage with a major employer. With up to 500 permanent jobs and 150 temporary Christmas posts, recruitment starts in July. Rhona McLinden from the Jobs Strategy Team at Capital City Partnership explains more. “The Joined Up for Jobs Partnership has an agreed Employer Offer with a particular process for major development opportunities. This allows for employers like Primark to link into the Joined Up for Jobs network through a central point of contact who will discuss the employers’ recruitment process and identify how the Joined Up for Jobs Partnership can best meet both the employers’ needs and the needs of their clients. The Initial meeting with Primark was very positive and they are very pleased to engage with the Partnership, including having provided input on ‘Working with Primark’ at a Joined Up for Jobs Information Event held in May. They also praised the concept of a single routeway into the network as this had stopped them being inundated with individual representations”. Amanda Stuart from Primark was also keen to emphasis the success of this approach. “This is the first time Primark have worked with a City Partnership and we are finding that having the ‘Joined Up for Jobs’ one-door approach is a very smooth and effective process. Knowing that such a large partnership is actively working behind the scenes in the city to support our recruitment and our future business development is very heartening.”

As part of the Employer Offer a training package has been developed for use with clients wanting to access Primark opportunities, including how the Primark recruitment cycle works and how to use their on-line recruitment portal. Up to 80 Employer Offer Recruitment Coaches have also been trained to offer recruitment support to their clients. Sandi McGeoch at Cyrenians is now a Recruitment Coach after attending training in May and already can see the benefits. “The Cyrenians Learning & Work team is committed to providing the best possible service to our clients who want to work for Primark to help and guide them through the recruitment process and into work. As Recruitment Coaches we now have all the tools we need to do that. The training package was very comprehensive and covered everything from information about Primark and the recruitment process and cycle to interview skills. The fact that the package has been developed specifically by Joined Up for Jobs and will be cascaded to ensure a uniform standard of recruitment through all of the partners is inspired. The process will ensure a quality service to Primark and equal opportunities and assistance for our entire job seeking clients. The more we are able to engage with employers and provide a first class employer offer, the better chance we have of developing good opportunities for work for our clients. It makes absolute sense that we should be pooling our specific skills, knowledge and expertise through the Joined Up for Jobs network, providing opportunities for development for all those working within employment access and the help people need to get into and sustain jobs”.

For more information, please contact Rhona McLinden on 0131 270 6085 or Rhonamclinden@capitalcitypartnership.org

This article is reproduced from Working Capital, Issue 1, June 2011, pp6-7.