Jobcentre Plus

A ground-breaking new “jobs pledge” aimed at finding job opportunities for local people currently on benefits has been signed in the Black Country by Jobcentre Plus and training company Seetec.

By signing a Local Employment Partnership (LEP), Seetec has given a commitment to offer guaranteed job interviews for people who have been on benefits and are ready to work, as part of the Government’s ‘In Work, Better Off: next steps to full employment’ Green Paper.

Susan Ruston of Jobcentre Plus said: “We want employers to work in partnership with us to help long-term benefit claimants into work. I am delighted that Seetec has demonstrated its commitment by signing up to an LEP, and I would urge other companies to do the same.”

Jeremy Nutter of Seetec said: “We are delighted that there is a scheme where we can demonstrate our real support as an employer to help people get back into work. The LEP is a key initiative. We believe in practising what we preach – we would not ask employers to take on our clients if we did not do so ourselves.”

In the coming three years – 2008 to 2010 – Jobcentre Plus aims to help 250,000 jobless people into work through LEPs. Seetec is one of 213 employers nationally who have committed to LEPs and the aim is to have over 300 signed up by the end of March 2008.