EDS News
In
August 2010 Westminster City Council commissioned EDS to manage the delivery
of the second phase of the DWP funded Future Jobs Fund programme within
Westminster.
From the onset it was agreed that there should be a strong emphasis upon linking FJF posts to predicted private sector vacancies in an attempt to increase the likelihood that the six month placements would lead ultimately to permanent employment. As a consequence, 30 of the 39 posts funded under the programme were developed in partnership with private sectors employers.
Due largely to the close link between the posts created and the real employment demands of the private sector, the programme has proved to be very successful at helping local long-term unemployed residents to secure sustainable employment. To date, 20 of the 22 individuals who have completed the programme have received offers of permanent employment.
Eleven posts were created through collaboration with the Grounds Maintenance Service in the Royal Parks and Islington, with employees providing additional mulching and winter maintenance services between October 2010 and April 2011. As part of the placement the FJF staff were provided with on-the-job horticultural training and obtained valuable practical experience of cyclical grounds maintenance. On completion of their six month placements, all 11 were offered seasonal contracts by Enterprise, the Grounds Maintenance Contractor.
A further 11 posts were created with Westminster’s provider of the School Escort Service which provides supervision and support to special needs children on their journey to and from school. Over a six month period the School Escorts were provided with an opportunity to develop their interpersonal skills and to develop a relationship with the children, whilst being sensitive to their special needs. The 9 School Escorts who completed the placement were offered permanent employment with the service provider.
Pre-Employment Skills Training - London
In
February 2010, EDS was awarded a contract by the London Development Agency
to deliver pre-employment skills training to long-term unemployed residents
of Islington. The programme of training would be based on a direct link
between the requirements of employers and identified job vacancies on the
Kings Cross development and within its related supply chain.
The Kings Cross Central development is the most significant project of its kind in central London, with outline planning permission for 8 million sq ft of mixed use land, including office space, hotels, a university, housing retail and leisure. It is being delivered by the Kings Cross Central Ltd Partnership, which includes major employers such as Argent Group plc, Hermes Real Estate, London & Continental Railways Ltd and DHL Supply Chain.
The development presents significant employment opportunities for the residents of London and, in particular, the boroughs of Camden and Islington. The comprehensive programme of training provides benefits to employers on the emerging Kings Cross development site by providing potential employees with the entry level skills required by the relevant industry sector – whether construction, retail, commerce or leisure.
This programme of targeted training aims to contribute to improved business competitiveness by reducing recruitment costs and offering a better match between job seekers and job opportunities. Local employers are actively involved in designing the training, identifying the employment opportunities and offering guaranteed interviews.