Linda McCabe and Donna Davies South London District

1. The Jobcentre Plus offer Linda McCabe and Donna Davies South London District

2. Aims of the Presentation • To explain how Jobcentreplus engages with employers • To outline the services we can offer to employers • To look at best practice and any issues in delivering a good service to employers.

3. Introduction • Delivering a consistent, high-quality service to employers will help us to build up a strong reputation with them which will deliver further opportunities for our priority customers. • In terms of recession close collaboration with employers becomes even more vital in finding opportunities for our jobseeker customers.

4. The Employer Offer • What is in our offer?

5. The Employer Offer - What services all employers will get. • Modern, efficient and free vacancy advertising service. • Access to a pool of work-ready people with the right skills for the job. • 48 hour call to ensure we understand the employer’s needs. • Support through Access to Work to help retain or recruit disabled employees. • Recruitment subsidy of £1000 for employers who recruit and retain customers who have been receiving JSA for over 6 months and may also be able to get help with training.

6. What services employers can get by working in partnership with us • Recruitment advisory services are available through account management and Local Employment Partnerships. • Extra support for LEP employers who are willing to recruit and give a fair chance to our priority customers. • Additional services can include: • Sifting applications • Providing interview rooms • Pre-employment training. • Work trials • And more…..

7. Employer Engagement Teams • In each borough we have a team of people focused on ensuring we capture all the vacancies in the local labour market and also ensuring that we fill the ones notified to us: • The Account Manager handles all large accounts and visits employers on their premises to explain our offer • There is a Labour Market Recruitment Adviser (LMRA) who has regular contact with all employers. • The Local Recruitment Officer handles the delivery of the offer by running group application sessions, sifting forms etc.

8. Our offer to employersRecruiting LEPs aim to help 200,000 people back into work through Local Employment Partnerships in the year from April 2009. Local Employment Partnerships are based on a simple ‘deal’ with employers across all sectors: • the Government ensures that jobless customers get the preparation and support that enables them to meet employers’ needs and expectations; • employers with vacancies give them fair shot at the job – through, for example, adjusting recruitment practices, guaranteeing interviews, or offering work trials. Jobcentre Plus, in conjunction with local partners, works with employers to: • Identify the employer’s recruitment criteria; • Customise any necessary training and support; • Determine the approaches the employer wishes to use in recruitment; and • Ensure jobs are filled quickly and efficiently to the employer’s specification The Jobcentre Plus offer

9. Our offer to employersDeveloping your people We’re working to ensure that all employers can access the appropriate range of recruitment, skills and business support services offered by Government in a coherent way . For example in England, when we talk to employers about LEPs we tell them: • how Train to Gain can help them develop the skills of the people they employ; • encourage them to sign the Skills Pledge, a promise to support all employees in developing their basic skills and working for relevant qualifications; The Jobcentre Plus offer

10. Offer to customers – Help for young people • Young Persons Guarantee • The Young Persons Guarantee will consist of: • Help with finding a job in key employment sectors • 100,000 jobs lasting at least six months funded by the Future Jobs Fund • Work-focused training • A Community Task Force programme delivering help within their community • Flexible New Deal at the 12 month point The Jobcentre Plus offer

11. FUTURE JOBS FUND • This is one element of the Young Person’s Guarantee • Real jobs of 25 hours or more per week, lasting at least 6 months with a view to permanent employment • They will be paid at least the minimum wage and the jobs will be additional to existing vacancies held by the employer • They should be of benefit to the local community • Some of the jobs will also be open to 25+ customers living in disadvantaged areas.

12. FJF and CHARLTON ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB • JCP offered enhanced service • Sifting, eligibility checks, group sessions to tell the young people what was involved in the jobs • JCP facilitated open days at The Valley • Charlton Athletic consulted JCP before deciding on the best candidates • They took on 10 young people with another 5 starting next week. • They took young people from our priority groups such as customers with disabilities and ex-offenders and were very happy with the service offered to them

13. FACTS AND FIGURES • More than 40,000 customers left the unemployment register in London in December, the majority of whom will have gone into work • JCP took 27,593 vacancies in December 2009 • In Greenwich we took 504 vacancies in December • 856 Greenwich customers left the register in December

14. Good Practices • Offer a service tailored to each employer’s needs • Keeping in regular contact with employers • Promoting vacancies to our providers • Identifying the needs of our customers quickly and taking the correct action to get them job ready as soon as possible

15. Issues/Lessons Learnt • Dealing with modern recruitment methods such as online applications and talent screening • Getting results/feedback from employers • Vacancy sharing with partners in the local area