New website launches to support employment in the North

A new website has been launched to try to support people in the North who have lost their job as a result of the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the North having been disproportionally affected by the outbreak, suffering an estimated decline of 20.7% in GVA between 2019 and Q2 2020. The NP11 – a group of 11 Northern local enterprise partnerships – has partnered with software specialist PDMS, to launch a new online service called SignedUp Skills to help people find new employment and training opportunities in their local area.

The free-to-use platform is part of a pilot programme which will run until the end of 2020, with the hope that it could become a long-term initiative if it is successful.

The website will be more than just a traditional jobs board, offering users the ability to access real-time vacancies, training courses, and apprenticeships across the region, as well as finding opportunities from throughout the UK. It will also provide them with unique insights into their region’s growing industries and identify the skills and training most in demand in their communities.

Roger Marsh

Roger Marsh OBE DL, chair of the NP11 and Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “With many of our communities throughout the North now under Tier 2 or Tier 3 government restrictions, many people and businesses find themselves facing an uncertain economic future.

“Now more than ever, to achieve a confident North with the skills it needs to thrive, we must work across sectors to build a culture of progression and development in our business that helps both companies and individuals flourish.

“The North will be integral to the future economic recovery and prosperity of the nation. However, our region’s recovery can only be as strong as the economic strength and security of the people living here. To deliver extraordinary economic and social transformation, we must not only invest in the technology and the skills for today, but also for the future.

“Working together with LEPs, combined authorities, mayors and civic leaders to address the skills gap, our ambition is to create a careers platform for the whole of the North, which will guide people through these difficult times and help connect them with prospective job opportunities.”

Each region has its own website, which for Yorkshire are:

Chris Gledhill, Managing Director of PDMS, which has develop the platform, added: “Throughout the pandemic, technology has allowed us to stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues. As we enter a new phase of this crisis, we can draw upon our software expertise to now connect people with employment and training opportunities.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the NP11 in the development of this pilot platform which will have the potential power to transform the lives of its users.”

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