Help with recruiting and retaining staff - advice and support from the Basingstoke and Deane Employment Initiative
A partnership between the public and private sector designed to find practical solutions to the recruitment, retention and skills shortage issues affecting many businesses across the borough.
The Initiative aims to work with a wide range of businesses and has a particular focus on getting people back into work.
Basingstoke has one of the highest economic activity rates in the UK yet unemployment of just 1%[1].
Recent borough surveys show that 65%[2] of businesses experience problems with recruitment and retention, whilst 70%[3] have problems in attracting the right staff
National statistics[4] show that Basingstoke, like other areas in the UK, has around 20% of working adults (14,500) with a numeracy / reading age of 11 or less.
REFERENCES:
[1] Claimant count, January 2003, office of national statistics
[2] Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council Key Workers Survey, October 2001
[3] Basingstoke &Deane Borough Council major consultation with business, June 2000.
[4] Improving literacy and numeracy. A fresh start. The report of the working group chaired by Sir Claus Moser, 1999.
The Initiative is led by Basingstoke & Deane Borough council and supported by:
The Initiative has established a range of services that businesses can access often free of charge. In many cases, specific help can be given with large scale recruitment campaigns.
Training
- Provide pre-employment training
- Help develop bespoke training to fill specific vacancies
- Provide training to help existing employees improve their essential skills*
- Provide advice on latest local training provision.
*Already more than 800 individuals have benefited from this training.
To find out more contact BCOT on: www.bcot.ac.uk
Recruiting
- Collect information on job requirements and help match with potential employees
- Provide latest market force salary information
- Hold jobs fairs as required.
Widening the employee pool
- Work with local communities: widely promoting vacancies and preparing individuals for work
- Provide advice for employers seeking to recruit from under-represented groups
- Provide advice on childcare, transport, benefits and housing issues.
‘One-stop-training and employment-shop’
The Initiative is also developing plans for a ‘one-stop’ training, employment and advice shop. This will:
- Help deliver companies the trained employees they require
- Help individual jobseekers gain the skills they need and provide straightforward access to the employment opportunities and advice available locally.
The Initiative works closely with community groups and individuals, providing support and guidance on training and employment issues.
Employment advice and guidance
- Advice and guidance on returning to work
- Details of vacancies in the borough
- Professional advice in CV, interview and application preparation
- Signposting to other local support services.
Training
- Free pre-job preparation in essential skills and customer care
- Access to a wide range of free IT training courses
- Training available in a range of friendly environments
- Opportunities to take part in work placements.
Basingstoke & Deane Employment Initiative
For enquiries relating to the Basingstoke & Deane Employment Initiative, contact:
Denise Luker:
Telephone 01256 845410
Email denise.luker@basingstoke.gov.ouk
jobcentreplus
Did you know that jobcentreplus offers a completely FREE recruitment service to employers? Vacancies are promoted on the jobcentreplus regional and national website.
In addition, job seekers can call a recruitment-line and learn about vacancies that are available in the area.
For more information contact: Karen Waller, jobcentreplus, tel: 01256 726400
Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT)
Basingstoke College of Technology aims to provide the vocational training and education needed by people and organisations living and working in Basingstoke and Deane that is essential for the continued social and economic development of the Borough.
The college works in partnership with the Council, companies, schools and Queen Mary's College to make training opportunities as widely accessible as possible.
Recent successes include the national award winning Context Programme for essential skills that is free to companies in the Borough and the vocational learning programme for students aged 14 - 16 years from each of the Borough's secondary schools.
For more information contact: Beverley Flanagan, Marketing Manager, T: 01256 306248 or beverley.flanagan@bcot.ac.uk or www.bcot.ac.uk
Solutions for the retail sector
In October 2002 Festival Place opened in Basingstoke: a £320 million investment that generated the need for 2,000 staff.
The borough’s low unemployment and relatively high turnover of staff within retail meant a steady supply of recruits would be needed.
Working with Festival Place developers the Employment Initiative designed a programme to attract more individuals back into work, and help train new staff:
- Festival Place ‘jobs’ desk (generating 2,000 job submissions in six weeks)
- Festival Place ‘expression of interest’ application form
- Four jobs fairs
- Free ‘Return to Retail’ course including work placements
- Free employee training in ‘essential skills’
- Free ‘supervisors’ training course
- Community outreach programme – promoting vacancies and training
For more information on this service contact:
Denise Luker, Project Director, Tel: 01256 845410