A ground-breaking ‘jobs pledge’ aimed at finding job opportunities for local people has been signed in Glasgow by Jobcentre Plus and ENABLE Scotland.

The Local Employment Partnership represents a new and innovative approach where employers pledge jobs for long term unemployed people and those at a disadvantage in the jobs market.

David Collie, Jobcentre Plus district manager for Glasgow, said: “Our Local Employment Partnership initiative is working with employers to make sure that people at a disadvantage in the jobs market move into job opportunities. They include lone parents and people with a disability or health condition wanting to return to work. The deal is that the government gets disadvantaged people ready for work and employers with vacancies give them a fair shot at the job.”

“Employers’ commitment is a key element of this partnership. Jobcentre Plus wants to work with employers, bringing together other partners, to help them develop their future work force.”

ENABLE Scotland signed up to support this Government initiative. ENABLE Scotland is a charitable organisation run by its members. It campaigns for a better life for children and adults with learning disabilities and supports them and their families to participate, work and live in their local communities.

Elaine Darling, executive director, said: “ENABLE Scotland is proud to be involved with Local Employment Partnerships both as an organisation that supports people with learning disabilities to get work, and as an employer.  We are committed to the principle of employment as the best route to better lives. It is vital that agencies and employers work together and we are excited about the partnership with Jobcentre Plus developing in the future.”

One man who has been helped back to work is Colin Graham. Due to a health condition Colin had to give up his job and at the age of 40 found himself unemployed. With the help of Jobcentre Plus Colin started a course with STRIVE were he was able to rebuild his confidence and prepare for going back to work. Colin worked in IT at a bank and when he saw the job advert for ENABLE he wondered what it would be like to work in the voluntary sector.

Colin said: ”I’m really happy in my job, when you are out of work for a while your comfort zone really shrinks and it can be daunting to think about going back to work. The staff at ENABLE Scotland made me feel really relaxed and they encouraged me to be honest about why I’ve not been working. I suppose they must have thought I was the right person for the job, which has given me a real confidence boost. It’s a great place to work.”