Pictured above: Lisa Karic, from Newcastle-Under-Lyme, ended her unemployment ordeal when she secured a job at Poundland with support from Pertemps People Development Group

Workers are celebrating after a major employment services provider united alongside Poundland, Europe's biggest single price discount retailer to offer a number of exciting new job opportunities in Staffordshire.

Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) has been working alongside Poundland as part of a job placement scheme for Work Focused Training and Flexible New Deal clients.

The partnership has proved to be so successful that Poundland has created three positions as sales assistants for PPDG clients with more jobs set to be created in the new year.

Lisa Karic is one of the lucky three who has seen her unemployment ordeal end thanks to PPDG and Poundland. The 19-year-old had been out of work since June 2009 after leaving Newcastle-Under-Lyme College with a National Diploma in Fine Art. But she secured work at Poundland within weeks of being referred to PPDG.

PPDG sent Lisa, who lives in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, on a City and Guilds Employability and Personal Development course which she came through with flying colours. She was then given a work placement at Poundland before being offered a job on a part time basis at the Newcastle-Under-Lyme store.

Lisa said: "I left college last year and couldn't find work. I had been unemployed for around 10 months when I was referred to PPDG. They sent me on a course to develop my skills and prepare me for employment. Within weeks I was put on a placement as a sales assistant at Poundland and then offered further hours.

"I really enjoy my role at Poundland, it's a very friendly place to work and it's a great feeling to finally be in regular employment. PPDG were absolutely brilliant, offering me the right support and advice and getting me back into work quickly."

PPDG multi-functional trainer Stephanie Brown said: "I am delighted that Lisa is enjoying working at Poundland after working so hard to prove her worth to the company. We hope that the partnership with Poundland will continue to develop and lead to more local people gaining employment in the new year." 

The Flexible New Deal (FND) initiative is being delivered in Stoke and across Staffordshire as part of the Government's Welfare to Work strategy. PPDG uses its vast experience to provide tailored solutions that help local jobseekers secure employment and training opportunities.

The Work Focused Training Initiative provides vocational training opportunities and employability skills to 18 to 24-year-olds. The initiative is part of the Government's Backing Young Britain campaign, in partnership with the Future Jobs Fund and the Community Taskforce, which encourages organisations to provide young people with the opportunities they need to get into work.

PPDG's team of employment experts provide advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation as well as finding the right job or training course. In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, Working Neighbourhoods Fund, Learndirect and many ESF funded programmes. More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began.  It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.