21.11.07
Partnerships improve prospects for jobless people

Jobcentre Plus has worked in close partnership with a wide range of organisations and employers to bring real benefits to jobless local people.

Jobcentre Plus Director of Customer Services, Sheelagh Keyse visited Cornwall to see first hand the difference those partnerships are making.

Sheelagh started her day with a visit to Tulip Foods, one of the first two employers in Cornwall to sign a Local Employment Partnership, a ground-breaking new ‘jobs pledge’ aimed at finding work for people on benefits. Tulip Foods have given a commitment to offer guaranteed job interviews for people on benefits who are ready to work.

Sheelagh then moved on to the Eden Project where she was able to meet a number of the local partners who work closely with Jobcentre Plus.

Carolyn Webster, European Programmes and Funding Manager for Jobcentre Plus explained how the European Social Fund through Objective One, and also the Cornwall Local Area Agreement is having a huge impact and greatly enhancing the provision for people seeking work – well beyond that which Jobcentre Plus could provide in isolation. Carolyn said: “Working with partners helps us to understand the full range of support for our customers, and to ensure any funding available is used to best effect to fill any gaps. What matters to local people is the quality of the service they receive, not who delivers the service.”

One of the topics fundamental to the work of many departments and agencies is the need to reduce child poverty through reducing the number of children being brought up in workless or very low income households. James Hardy, recently appointed Child Poverty coordinator through the Real Choices initiative said: “We need to break the cycle of child poverty and stop it continuing and growing. It’s important to identify children at risk as early as possible and put in place strategies that shift efforts from treatment to prevention.”

At the end of the afternoon Sheelagh said, “It’s fabulous to see such strong partnership working and the difference ESF has made to what we can do. The key is to be able to react when an opportunity comes along, like Cornwall did with Fifteen. Through local employment partnerships it is important that we can meet the specific needs of local employers like the Eden Project and Fifteen.” She left the group with a challenge – ‘What will be different in two years time as existing partnerships are built upon and extended?’

For further information please contact Sue Kessell, Devon and Cornwall District Marketing Manager, Truro Jobcentre Plus on 01872 355117.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Jobcentre Plus Co-Financing project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2, through the European Social Fund (ESF).

Editor's notes:

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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