DEPARTMENT FOR WORK
AND PENSIONS News Release (RefEMP-093) issued by The Government News
Network on 24 June 2008
Tim Campbell,
winner of the first series of The Apprentice, and founder of the
Bright Ideas Trust, is to host the first national Local Employment
Partnership awards being held in London on 1 July.
Tesco, Nissan Motors and HSBC are among the 20 UK employers which
have made it onto the shortlist for the awards. The finalists are
in the running to win one of six awards which recognise
outstanding contributions made by employers, employees and
partners involved in LEPs - the Government's new partnership
approach to help disadvantaged jobseekers back into work.
Campbell, who won The Apprentice in 2005, said: "Being hired
by Sir Alan to be his apprentice gave me a once in a lifetime
opportunity. I know from experience how important it is to be
given a chance and how it can change your life for the better.
Local Employment Partnerships are giving thousands of people the
opportunity to reach their full potential.
"The employers and employees shortlisted for LEP awards are
great examples of the fantastic results that Local Employment
Partnerships are bringing about, and the opportunities they are
creating up and down the country."
The winners will be announced at an inaugural Awards presentation
ceremony at the Brit Oval in London on 1 July. The winners will
be selected by a judging panel, drawn from the public and private
sector and chaired by Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment and
Welfare Reform. For further information about the awards visit http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcp/employers/lep/awards/
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Bright Ideas Trust is a charity which works with young people
with good business ideas and provides them with advice, guidance
and funding to help them get their ideas off the ground. For more
information visit http://www.brightideastrust.com.
The shortlisted employers are as follows:
* Employer award for work-life balance
* Capita Life and
Pensions (Glasgow)
* Tesco (Haydock, Merseyside)
* Tulip
Cleaning Services (Malvern, Worcestershire)
* Employer award
for best practice in recruitment
* Debenhams (Llandudno and
Bangor, North Wales)
* London Central/General Buses
(London)
* Tesco (Aston, Birmingham)
* The Village Hotel
(Ashton under Lyne, Tameside)
* Employer award for best
practice in career progression
* Marriott Hotels (Cardiff and
St Pierre, Wales)
* Norfolk County Services (Norwich)
*
Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel (London)
* Partnership award
for best practice in partnership working
* Coventry City
Council (Coventry)
* Debenhams/Liverpool ONE (Liverpool)
*
Nissan Motors (Sunderland)
* Tameside Employment Partnership
(Tameside)
* Individual Award for success in overcoming
barriers to employment
* Mark Farrell (Asda) (Harrogate, North
Yorkshire)
* Muhammad Taher (Randstad) (Birmingham)
*
Trevor Chandler (Coventry City Council) (Coventry)
*
Individual award for outstanding achievement in learning and
training
* Gary Fuller (Exemplar Healthcare) (Rotherham)
*
Duncan Ferguson (Stellar UK) (Irvine, Scotland)
* Chris Gernon
(HSBC) (Coventry)
The judging panel, chaired by Stephen Timms, comprises:
* John Cridland, Deputy Director General CBI
* Chris
Humphries, Chief Executive, Commission for Employment and
Skills
* David Lammy, Minister for Skills
* Frances
O'Grady, Deputy General Secretary TUC
* Jackie Orme,
Chief Executive, CIPD
* Helen Reynolds, Acting Chief
Executive, Recruitment and Employment Federation
* Andrew
Taylor, Employment Editor, Financial Times
For further information about the awards visit http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcp/employers/lep/awards/
Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs) are based on a
'deal' with employers:
* The Government, through Jobcentre Plus, takes steps to
understand employers' requirements and gets disadvantaged
people ready for work;
* Employers with vacancies give people a fair shot at the job -
through a range of measures which might include adjusting
recruitment processes, offering work trials or guaranteed
interviews, work placements, mentoring etc.
* As of the beginning of June 2008, nearly 9,000 people have
found work through LEP with more than 1,400 employers
Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions,
brings together employment and benefit services for people of
working age and is a key element in the Government's
objectives to help people based on 'Work for those who can,
support for those who cannot'. It provides a professional and
modern service to meet the diverse needs of employers and those
seeking work.
For further information on the services that Jobcentre Plus
provides employers and people of working age visit http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Website http://www.dwp.gov.uk