Opportunity knocks; the back to work scheme that offers hope to all

IN recent weeks the spectre of rising unemployment has returned to UK shores and if predictions are right could be facing record levels of unemployment not seen since the early 90s.

And it’s not just shop workers. Increasing numbers of professionals and white collar workers are collecting their P45’s proving that in this recession no sector is safe.

Because the UK has enjoyed low unemployment for more than a decade many fear that the country is ill prepared to get people back into work. They would be wrong however as Chris Melvin, chief executive of Reed in Partnership, is quick to tell me.

The welfare-to-work company works with Yorkshire employers and Jobcentre Plus to help long-term unemployed people back into work, matching and developing their skills to plug employment needs of the region.

To date, it has helped more than 2,000 people back into work in South Yorkshire particularly in the Doncaster area, and boasts a retention rate of 70% after three months. While Melvin admits that the increasing number of redundancies will make the job market more competitive, he is keen to highlight the advantages of Reed in Partnership during economically difficult times as firm’s don’t have to pay for its services when asking it to fill vacant positions.

“Many firms overlook the potential of an untapped workforce in the shape of long-term benefit claimants,” he says.

“But in times of financial hardship when smaller firms particularly don’t have the resources to use traditional recruitment what we offer is invaluable.”
Reed in Partnership also provides in-work support for newly hired staff as well as help on putting together CVs.

“Saving on recruitment costs is a huge plus. But it’s also about filling vacancies quickly – an important factor for the leisure and manufacturing sectors.”

Reed in Partnership also helps individuals who want to start their own businesses by acting as a broker for organisations such as Business Link and The Princes’ Trust. Support is also offered to individuals who may have been out of work due to illness including mental health issues.

It may seem naively optimistic to think Reed in Partnership will have any real influence on climbing unemployment figures. But offering employers a cost-effective solution to staffing problems while helping local economies stay healthy offers a positive solution to the more unpleasant effects of recession.
Bakers Cooplands is one firm to have benefited from Reed in Partnership’s help.

The Doncaster-based firm, which was founded in 1932, has 75 stores across South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire with 90% of manufacturing taking place at its Doncaster bakery. It employs around 700 staff in total.

In the last four months, 25 people have been employed through Reed in Partnership with 17 choosing to stay on after three months.
Emma Annandale, the firm’s HR manager, says that the agency has not only helped source suitable staff quickly and efficiently but has helped drive down recruitment costs too.

“From a company’s point of view it’s a great scheme,” she says.
“As well as being less expensive than using an agency Reed really works hard to find the right candidate and we feel good about getting people back into work in our local area.”

Helping support the local economy is an important factor for Cooplands and Annandale has plenty of good feeling stories to tell.

“There was one lady who started here about a year ago who had been out of work for three years. Initially she thought she wouldn’t be able to cope but she has.”

With uncertainty casting a dark cloud of the future of the regional economy sustainable employment is increasingly becoming key to business survival. Downturn or no downturn being able to quickly fill vacancies or source the right skills could mean the difference to securing or maintaining contracts – or even successfully fulfilling growth ambitions.

The stigma of being unemployed has long endured but as agencies such as Reed in Partnership clearly show, such prejudice is damaging to both individuals and local economies.

As the effects of the recession deepen lessons learnt and experience gained from the last downturn will become ever more important. Reed in Partnership is representative of both hope and opportunity. It’s there for the taking.