Redundancy support for employers as the end of furlough approaches

To tackle growing unemployment figures, a new service is supporting job seekers to find work and employers to future-proof their business.

Jobs@SkillsHub is a brand-new service that provides a job matching service for those looking for work and for employers looking to recruit locally or support staff at risk of redundancy. It complements existing services provided by the Skills Hub who have supported hundreds of people into education, work, or training, working with a range of partners including JobCentre Plus and the National Careers Service.

This Wednesday (October 21), a range of experts will come together to host a free Citylife Business Support virtual event to talk through the jobs market and provide updates on the latest redundancy advice and support available to employers.  Newcastle City Council will talk through the Jobs@SkillsHub scheme, apprenticeships, work experience and training. The National Careers Service will give an overview of support available for local employers including access to funding to re-train people at risk of redundancy.  ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service)  will cover some of the main challenge’s businesses are facing,  including the management of mental wellbeing in the workplace.

This event is timely as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have recently published figures showing that unemployment across the UK has risen to 4.5 per cent with the North East having the highest unemployment rate in the UK at 6.6 per cent. Around 16,000 people are currently unemployed in Newcastle, a figure that could rise further as furlough ends and as the city faces ongoing restrictions.

Jobs@SkillsHub helps employers to do what they can to support employees at risk of redundancy, signposting to local job vacancies and organisations that can help with skills such as cv writing, business planning, interview preparation and more.  If employers are looking to recruit it can also help them to find the right people for their business and tap into local talent. They can advertise current vacancies for free and find out more about the latest incentives to help future proof and safeguard their business, such as paid six month placements for young people through the Kickstart Scheme, support to help their business plan for the future and help to manage redundancies though the DWP Rapid Response Fund, that can be accessed through National Careers Service.

As one of the Jobs@SkillsHub partners, The National Careers Service, offer free, impartial, and professional careers advice. They can complete a skills transfer analysis for those at risk of redundancy or who have recently been made redundant who may be eligible for Rapid Response Support to fund short work focused training, making it as easy as possible to match skills to new jobs in our great city.

There are almost 70 live jobs and training opportunities on the Jobs@SkillsHub ranging from web development and IT support roles to joinery, plastering, care assistant and nursery nurse roles.  So far, more than 80 local employers have signed up to advertise new vacancies to almost 250 job seekers.

Cllr Ged Bell, Cabinet Member for Employment and Culture said, “The end of October is a key date for the jobs market, and this new service will play a vital role in support our city, its businesses and our people.  This service is not only a way to support the thousands of people who are facing redundancy to find work and new opportunities, its gives employers the platform to tap into local talent. Whether you are an employer needing support around redundancy or you are looking to sign post staff to training and job opportunities I would urge you to sign up for the event next week or register with @Jobs@SkillsHub. The support landscape can be confusing, and this brings all opportunities and support together in one place.

“While we know many sectors continued to be adversely affected by the pandemic, some sectors are seeing growth as they adapt and innovate in response. Matching people, skills and experience to jobs will help us mitigate the predicted further rise in employment and I encourage everyone to play their part. As a city we are committed to creating an inclusive and fair economy and this is one of the ways we can move towards this vision. “

Launched by Newcastle City Council, the Jobs@SkillsHub is funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s COVID-19 Capacity Fund and is part of Newcastle City Council’s commitment to mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on people and businesses.

If you are making redundancies, have staff on furlough or looking to retrain or recruit, sign up for this free event on Wednesday, October 21 at 9am: https://bit.ly/2I9qsXO

If you are an employer looking for support to fill your vacancies sign up at www.skillshubnewcastle.co.uk.