Newcastle City Council launches new service to get people into work

With unemployment figures increasing due to job losses and redundancies caused by the impact of COVID-19, Newcastle City Council has launched a new service to provide jobs and support for anyone seeking work.

The £300,000 Jobs@skillshub project – funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s COVID-19 Capacity Fund – will provide a job matching service for those looking for work and information on events, work experience, apprenticeships and training.

Specialist job advisors have been employed to provide fast access to support and job opportunities to help people find new jobs.

Cllr Ged Bell, cabinet member for employment and culture, said: “Coronavirus has had a profound impact on employment and businesses across the city.

“With more people set to lose their jobs, we’ve developed this new service to support the people of Newcastle to find work. Our job match service will line up people with jobs available or help them to develop the right skills for future job opportunities.

“With many sectors facing severe challenges we know that many people will need to find new opportunities or develop new skills to move into sectors that are less impacted by coronavirus.

“We know this is a really difficult time, but Newcastle is a resilient city and we’ve begun to bounce back already. Employers are hiring, and the Skills Hub can help local people to fill these roles.”

The new service will complement existing services provided by the Skills Hub. Based at the City Library, the Skills Hub works with a range of partners including JobCentre Plus and the National Careers Service, and has supported hundreds of people into education, work or training.