Pictured: Amey group HR director Valerie Hughes D'Aeth and
Amey's head of HR for the Birmingham Highways Maintenance and
Management Service Ann Drozdzik, together with Birmingham City
Council's Sue Hall and Cheryl Smylie accept their award
A unique partnership between Amey, Birmingham City Council and
Jobcentre Plus has been recognised at a national level.
The Personnel Today award for 'Innovation in recruitment'
recognised the work of the partners in co-ordinating a targeted
recruitment and training campaign to get local unemployed people
back into work.
Tackling the lack of jobs is a key issue for Birmingham with
unemployment in the city at 11.8%, more than twice the national
rate. Lack of work experience, qualifications and opportunities are
the main barriers to work, especially for young people.
The Birmingham Highways Maintenance and Management Service, a
25-year deal with Birmingham City Council to improve the city's
roads, presented a unique opportunity to get long-term unemployed
people back into sustainable employment.
As a result of working together, the partnership put 100 people
through an assessment centre, 72 people were given jobs and 18
apprentices were taken on.
This prestigious title is the seventh award win for the
£2.7bn, 25-year project with previous wins including the
Institute of Civil Engineering (West Midlands) Sustainability Award
and the Partnerships Bulletin Awards for Best Transport Maintenance
Project.
Mike Notman, Amey Project Director said: "It is great news for
the partnership and a brilliant achievement to be part of an award
winning partnership. We have been working with Birmingham City
Council to improve not only the highways network in the city but
also to boost the skills of local people and provide jobs."
Cllr Timothy Huxtable, Cabinet Member Transportation,
Environment & Regeneration: "The project is all about achieving
the best for Birmingham's highways and realising the city's vision
of being a world-class city. Creating local jobs also contributes
to the economic regeneration of the city. I am so pleased that the
excellent work the partnership is doing is being noticed and
acknowledged at a national level."