A successful work placement programme run by a leading welfare to work provider has helped more than a dozen people find jobs with a Leicester manufacturer.

Working Links and leading plastic injection moulders Abaloid Plastics are working together to help long-term unemployed people in the area off benefits and into work through Mandatory Work Related Activity (MWRA), a four-week programme greatly improving people's chances of finding work.

Based in Scudamore Road, Leicester, Abaloid Plastics are a long established plastic injection moulders. The company produces a diverse range of plastic mouldings for customers in the automotive, electrical, mechanical and housewares industries.

Already the company has taken on 17 people through MWRA and the two organisations will continue to help people find jobs well into the future.

The company's managing director Phil Hammond said: "We are unearthing some great people who really do want to work but would not otherwise get the chance."

Through the MWRA programme, jobseekers are given the chance to work with an organisation for four weeks, for at least 30 hours a week. This helps them gain work-related skills that boost their chances of finding work.

The relationship began when consultant Claudia Fasulo got in touch with Mr Hammond to tell him about the benefits of the MWRA programme. Phil, who had been looking for a number of new staff at that point, said: "She happened to email at just the right time."

Phil and Claudia held a meeting to discuss what Working Links could do for them. Phil said: "I liked the idea of getting long-term unemployed people off benefits. We were using temporary agencies, which was very expensive.

"With work placements, jobseekers are screened by Working Links before they come to us. We are able to take new workers on a trial period before taking them on at no cost to us. 

"Claudia is very good. She was very realistic and knew what would work for us and what wouldn't work. This gave me confidence."

He added that taking on people through MWRA, rather than agencies, had saved the company about £40,000 in six months.

Phil said:  "The programme saves a lot of time because they do a pre-screening process for us. Where at all possible, we try to employ people who are long-term unemployed. A lot of employers might not give long-term unemployed people a chance to work for them."

For more information about Working Links, please visit their website here: www.workinglinks.co.uk