Pictured: Mel Dovey (right), of Pertemps People Development
Group, joins (from left) client Becky Godridge, Diana Fish of PPDG,
Smyths Toys supervisor Ryan Horner, and client Dawn Latham
One of the UK's biggest toy retailers has given 33 people from
Walsall, Birmingham and Solihull just what they wanted for
Christmas - a job.
Smyths Toys has recruited the long-term unemployed people to
work at its superstore at Crown Wharf Shopping Park, Walsall, and
Castle Vale Retail Park, Birmingham.
The company, which has 49 stores across the UK, worked in
partnership with employment and training experts Pertemps People
Development Group (PPDG) during the recruitment process to offer
jobseekers opportunities to secure jobs.
PPDG is contracted to deliver the Work Programme, a European
Social Fund (ESF) project co-financed by the Department for Work
and Pensions assisting job seekers to secure employment
opportunities.
Employer engagement manager Mel Dovey and employer liaison
co-ordinator Diana Fish worked alongside Smyths' Walsall store
manager David Hopson to recruit 17 local people into jobs such as
warehouse and retail assistants.
The recruitment drive was so successful they repeated the
exercise at PPDG's Chemlsley Wood centre to recruit 16 people at
the Castle Vale store, with support from PPDG's Damien Turrell and
Jayne Hanson.
Mel said: "For 33 people to secure jobs at a major retailer is a
great result and, although the position are temporary at the
moment, we hope that a significant number of the new recruits will
gain permanent employment when they have had the chance to prove
their capability.
"By staging group and mock interview sessions, we worked hard to
make sure that each of our clients was thoroughly prepared for
their interview with Smyths and we are delighted that so many of
them were successful."
David Hopson, of Smyths Toys, Walsall, said: "It has made our
Christmas much easier and proves there are good quality people
willing to work hard in our local area. Pertemps People Development
Group found the right people for interview and also helped
massively with the recruitment day. It is also reassuring to know
that the people we employ have a help and support infra-structure
behind them should they need it."
The PPDG team helped clients during the recruitment process by
creating new CVs, providing internet training, and motivation and
confidence building.
PPDG won the five to seven year Work Programme contract as a
prime deliverer in the Birmingham, Solihull & Black Country
region in a national tendering process carried out by the
Government. PPDG's team of employment experts provides 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 and many programmes financed by the European
Social Fund. PPDG came fourth in The Sunday Times Best Companies to
Work For 2011.
For more information about Pertemps People Development Group,
please visit their website here: www.ppdg.co.uk