23 November 2007 – Every little helps – Hain welcomes more jobs through Local Employment Partnership
A quarter of the jobs at a new Tesco store in the Welsh town of Maesteg have gone to long term benefit claimants through the Local Employment Partnership (LEP), announced Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain.
Visiting the store Peter Hain met a number of the former claimants who have been helped into work by the partnership between Jobcentre Plus and Tesco.
The Tesco store in Maesteg opened its doors on 5 November 2007.
Peter Hain said:
“I’m really enthused to see local employment partnerships spanning out across the country and making their mark here in Wales. This particular LEP is giving the chance to 45 long term claimants from the area to be a part of the 180 strong workforce, half of whom have been recruited through Jobcentre Plus.
“A decade ago those on benefits, in particular Incapacity Benefit, were effectively written off with no hope of accessing the labour market. This was a totally unacceptable situation where the state simply gave up on whole communities.”
Mr Hain said that the involvement of such a major UK employer as Tesco was indicative of the faith that business had in their local community to come in and help fill the vacancies that exist in the economy.
Peter Hain added:
“I have said that there are vacancies in the UK that employers are desperate to fill, and that with the right training and help, people who have previously been on benefits can be the solution.
“All across the country, companies are showing their faith in UK workers, by committing themselves to LEPs and to helping people who have not been able to get into work, to finally do so.
“Working together I believe LEPs can play a crucial role in helping to get people who may have given up on the idea that they could contribute in the workplace to realise their potential, get back into the labour market which is good news for them, their family and their local community.”
Jobcentre Plus originally began negotiations with Tesco in May 2007, initially concentrating on locating premises for a recruitment centre for the new store. Following discussions during the summer about open days and guaranteed interviews, Jobcentre Plus and partners were allocated all 320 places on the open days. As a result of this partnership working Tesco has signed up locally with Jobcentre Plus.
Unemployment in Maesteg is higher compared to other parts of the Local Authority area and there are pockets of real deprivation. Of the 180 jobs created at the Tesco Maesteg store, 90 were filled by Jobcentre Plus customers, 45 of these were recruited as a result of the LEP agreement.
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