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1000th Londoner into work through Employer Accord programme


WEBWIRE

The 1000th Londoner has been helped into work through an innovative venture between the London Development Agency, Jobcentre Plus and the Department for Work and Pensions to bridge the gap between the long term unemployed and the needs of businesses.

The London Employer Accord is a key part of the London Development Agency’s strategy to provide targeted help for the capital’s long term unemployed. This is supporting the Mayor’s commitment to drive forward initiatives that will tackle long-term unemployment in the capital.

Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor of London says:

“Many congratulations to all one thousand Londoners who’ve now found employment through the London Employer Accord programme. This is a vital initiative that helps the long term unemployed back into good long term employment and we are delighted with the results. This is a unique service that helps employers to simplify how they recruit and offers support. We are already looking forward to celebrating the next thousand Londoners helped into employment through the scheme and it’s clever joined up thinking like this programme that has enabled the capital to lead the way out of recession and into recovery.”

Set up in 2008, the London Employer Accord has already helped people gain work via its innovative brokerage service which aligns business needs with those of the long-term unemployed. Working with significant London employers like Sainsbury’s, Skanska, and Travelodge, the Accord is helping to cut the number of long term workless whilst testing new ways of offering more coordinated recruitment and training support to businesses in the capital.

Neville Cavendish, Director of the London Employer Accord says:

“It is fantastic that we have been able to help 1000 Londoners. It’s clear that our investment in this area is now having a real impact across London, breaking down many of the barriers people face to finding work and helping employers to find the right staff.”

The success of the 1000th person, Lyn from Croydon, is the culmination of a partnership between Sainsbury’s and the London Employer Accord. Lyn is one of over 250 disadvantaged Londoners to be supported into work at Sainsbury’s through the partnership so far.

Lyn is a lone parent with four children. She started work recently at Sainsbury’s in Croydon after being unemployed for 24 years.

Lyn says:

“I was getting bored, I was getting panic attacks where I’d sit here and it would just come on and I couldn’t do anything - through boredom as much as anything else. My children are now self-sufficient and starting their own lives, it’s about time I have a second shot and start doing something for myself.”

Through the London Employer Accord’s partnership with Sainsbury’s, Lyn’s Jobcentre Plus advisor was able to tell her that a local store was recruiting for a variety of positions. After attending a screening session at Jobcentre Plus, an Open Day and induction days at Sainsbury’s, Lyn was offered a job as a member of the stock replenishment team.

Lyn says:

“I more or less knew that I had got the job. I was the only one round the table who said I can work any hours, I don’t care day or night. I said that I would do anything offered to me as I just wanted to get back into work.”

Helen Webb, Sainsbury’s Retail HR Director, says:

“We would have no hesitation in working with the London Employer Accord again. They are able to provide us with a single point of contact through their pan-London project team to cover all of our stores across the capital. They know our business very well and it feels as though the Accord is working exclusively for Sainsbury’s, even though we know they are working with other employers. It is this consistent, highly professional service which is very responsive to rapid changes in store recruitment needs, that makes our partnership with the Accord so successful. By utilising very thorough shortlisting processes, the quality of applicants has been consistently high, resulting in a higher shortlist-to-offer ratio than we have experienced with other recruitment campaigns.”

An event is being held this afternoon in partnership with The O2 in London to celebrate the achievements of the London Employer Accord and its partners.



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