Nick Kavanagh looks at an innovative scheme involving Knowsley MBC and a major provider to the public sector, to provide jobs for people on welfare Knowsley MBC is turning recruitment agent, in a bid to help residents off welfare and into employment. The council is working in partnership to help recruit 600 workers for private sector company, Vertex, which is expanding in the borough. The pioneering move is thought to be the first such partnership in the country, and could provide inspiration to other local authorities searching for ways to bolster their economies during challenging times. Vertex already employs 900 call centre staff and 300 administrative staff at its Knowsley base, and is currently expanding, having won a contract to handle customer service for a wide range of well-known clients. It plans to retain its relationship with Knowsley MBC, even after the 600 new posts are filled, and has asked the authority to help find 20 recruits a month to allow for future natural attrition. The arrangement came about after Vertex won two new contracts for its call centre in Knowsley. It looked to the local council to help find staff after hearing of Knowsley's successful track record in recruitment management for companies, including ASDA, QVC and Knowsley Housing Trust. In times like these, local authorities should be taking decisive and sometimes-unprecedented steps. Our aim is to equip long-term unemployed or less qualified residents with the valuable skills they need to secure permanent jobs with leading employers. Unlike private recruitment agencies, many of whom are interested in 12 week placements, we are interested in the long term. Knowsley has teamed up with the Learning and Skills Council and JobcentrePlus, which will fund training for some of the recruits. It recently organised the first of a series of assessment days for candidates, all of whom came from priority groups such as those on long-term incapacity benefit, the over-50s, women returning to work after having children, lone parents and the low skilled. As well as the usual assessments, the day was an opportunity for would-be employees to see the company first hand, experience the working conditions, and find out exactly what the job would entail. We must remember that some of the candidates have never worked before, or have been out of the jobs market for some time. The idea of taking up a job can be daunting, and some people have a skewed perception of what a contact centre role will entail. The council is assigning staff to help new workers successfully integrate into the company by acting as mentors, and providing a first point of contact for any issues arising, whether as part of the job or with problems such as childcare or transport. Money from the Working Neighbourhood Fund – available to the country's most deprived communities – will be used to provide pre-employment training to ensure the successful applicants are ready for work. This is a fabulous opportunity to help hundreds of local residents find skilled work which may previously have been out of their reach. We are in a unique position to offer new recruits money to get to work or even driving lessons, depending on their individual need. For Steve Joyce, UK resources manager for Vertex, the benefits of working with the local authority were clear-cut. ‘It can be very difficult for companies to find skilled workers, so when Knowsley suggested a kind of "one-stop shop" for training and recruitment it seemed the perfect solution and a good opportunity to broaden our search,' he says. ‘Previously, we tended only to employ people who had contact centre experience. Now the council is helping us with pre-employment training so we are able to offer work to people who may not have immediately-relevant experience, but who, with the right training, have the potential to become valuable employees.' The recruitment assignment is the latest high-profile project being undertaken by the council's Knowsley Works programme, which is developing a whole range of innovative initiatives to help local businesses and residents survive the economic downturn. Last year, the council set itself the ambitious target of securing 100 apprenticeships for young people in companies and organisations across the borough. More than 600 16 to 18-year-olds applied, and 106 found employment in sectors ranging from civil engineering for Balfour Beatty or leisure with Everton Football Club. The Knowsley Apprentice programme used £1.5m of neighbourhood fund money, enabling the council to subsidise half the wage bill for participating employers for the duration of the three-year placements. Now the initiative is being held up as a blueprint for others to follow, especially with the Government's current drive to promote apprenticeships nationally. Nick Kavanagh is executive director for regeneration, economy and skills at Knowsley MBC
