Pictured above:  (l-r) Andrew Davies, from South Staffs College, Karen Evans, PPDG centre manager at Tamworth, councillor Lee Bates, Mayor of Tamworth and Jo Howl, from Tamworth and Lichfield Jobcentre Plus

Tamworth businesses including Bargain Booze and UPS have joined forces with a local jobs expert in a bid to help long-term unemployed people get back into work.  

Local bosses attended an employer event in the town aimed forging close links between companies, organisations and employment and training initiative providers Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) based at The White House in Church Street.

The Community Partnership and Employer Event was hosted by PPDG to raise awareness of the employment and training services available to employers in the town and surrounding area that could save them invaluable time and money. 

The Mayor of Tamworth, Councillor Lee Bates, attended alongside representatives from Tamworth and Lichfield's Jobcentre Plus, South Staffs College and other training providers.

Tony Swain who provides the link between the company and local businesses said such events are important to alert companies to new and available opportunities.

Speaking after the event Tony said: "As a result of today, UPS are to consider our local job seekers for positions by inviting them to interview at the Birch Coppice site. And Bargain Booze have also offered to take clients on placement to give them valuable and recent work experience whilst they're job seeking."

Karen Evans, centre manager at Tamworth PPDG, said: "The event was staged to showcase our services to local employers and provide an ideal networking opportunity. We also strongly believe in developing beneficial business relationships so we were delighted that so many of our partners from the town and the Lichfield area were able to attend."

Over the past 16 months PPDG have helped 250 unemployed people back into work in Tamworth alone, many of whom now work for local employers including: Protech Plastic Containers, Midlands Finishing, Tamworth Snowdome, TNT and the Compass Group.

To learn more about PPDG in Tamworth contact the centre on 01827 290040.

In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives. 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.