Pictured above: Julie Venn-Morton, of the Construction Employment Unit, with Simon Wright, head of human resources at Whitefriars Housing Group

Coventry's largest social landlord is linking up with Enterprising Coventry to find jobs for suitable candidates.

Whitefriars Housing Group was formed in 2000 to take responsibility for around 18,000 former council homes in the city.

The organisation is among a number of employers that Enterprising Coventry helps find the right people to fill its vacancies thanks to the Coventry and Warwickshire Construction Employment Unit.

Simon Wright, head of human resources at Whitefriars Housing Group, said the Construction Employment Unit has successfully filled vacancies in its HomeWorks division.

"We have been working in partnership with the Construction Employment Unit for many years in support of recruitment to our HomeWorks craft vacancies," he said. 

"We place our adverts through them, and they have provided valuable and consistent support to meet our business' needs and timescales because they have gone the extra mile for us, helping us to manage extremely high levels of interest in our vacancies."   

Julie Venn-Morton, of the Construction Employment Unit, said the scheme had many benefits for employers as well as employees.

She said: "HomeWorks is the section of Whitefriars which repairs and maintains housing stock.

"When they have vacancies in their maintenance teams, they use us as a recruiting service.

"We take all enquiries on their behalf from our base in Torrington Avenue in Tile Hill, send out application forms and shortlist suitable candidates to recommend for interviews after receiving the completed forms.

"It is a partnership that is working really well and, most importantly, is helping people find jobs."

She added: "The Construction Employment Unit is part of Enterprising Coventry and our role is to link local people with construction skills to local opportunities as they arise so we are matching people with jobs."