Pictured above: Jenny Clarke, Working Links and Duncan Price, Jobseeker

Nottinghamshire employment specialists Working Links have had reason to celebrate recently - the welfare to work recruitment service has helped over 3000 unemployed people back into work as part of their return to work programme over the past 18 months.

This also means that, since their formation in April 2000, the welfare to work organisation have helped over 15,000 into work across the city and county through the other programmes that they have been running.

The occasion was marked at a celebratory event that took place at the Council House recently and was attended by Representatives from Department of Works and Pensions and Job Centre Plus, partners, employers and some jobseekers.

Working Links or their partners are currently able to help anyone unemployed return to work that meet certain criteria Some of the hardest to help jobseekers, including long term unemployed, Lone parents returning to work, ex-offenders and some with drug and alcohol misuse issues, have successfully found sustainable jobs thanks to the back-to-work support available to them.

Jobseeker Duncan Price, who has recently returned to work thanks to the Programme, says: "I had worked in the catering industry for years and had never struggled to find a job. But then I found myself out of work with no job offers. It was at this stage that i realised I needed help - I have never even had a CV, I became de-motivated and started to drink".

"Jenny my Working Links advisor gave me the confidence I needed to keep going. She looked at my transferable skills and put me on a course to develop new skills which would help with my employability. I am about to start working in a local contact centre - something I had never thought I could do and I can't wait to start".

Kev Thomas, Operations Manager for Working Links comments: "Working Links' success has largely been down to treating each jobseeker as an individual and by giving the one to one support in finding a job that they need. We have gone from humble beginnings at the start to a large operation in Nottingham but our ethos has always remained the same - ensuring that a job seeker finds the job that they really want to do rather than have to do means that they are more likely to stay in work and the employer is happy that we have found them someone who wants to work for them and is committed."

To find out more about Working Links and the back to work support they are able to offer, please phone 0115 9241229, call into The Frontage, Queen Street, Nottingham or visit www.workinglinks.co.uk