Employers urged to recruit local talent through Jobs@SkillsHub

A free job matching service for job seekers and employers is urging businesses in need of talent to come forward in Newcastle.

Jobs@SkillsHub, a Newcastle City Council initiative, now has more than 600 people actively looking for jobs, training and work experience.

It provides businesses with the opportunity to tap into local talent and play their part in reducing rising unemployment levels in the city.

The service offers employers free vacancy advertising and hands on support to find the right candidates for their roles.

Businesses can also find out more about the latest incentives such as the paid six-month placements on offer through the Government’s Kickstart Scheme.

Recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 7.6 per cent of the population of Newcastle, equivalent to 15,585 people, were on Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit and looking for work in February 2021.

This is an increase of 67 per cent year-on-year and demonstrates the unprecedented impact of the pandemic on the local labour market.

Jobs@SkillsHub supports local people who are unemployed, at risk of redundancy or looking to change career, through fast access to local job opportunities, apprenticeships, training.

Newcastle University, which is a registered employer on Jobs@SkillsHub, has been using the service since its launch late last year.

Speaking about the job matching service, Karen Povey, people services business partner (recruitment) at Newcastle University said: “Newcastle University uses the Jobs@SkillsHub portal to help advertise opportunities.

“It encourages individuals who may not be aware of the variety of roles the University has available.

“Jobs@Skills Hub is easy to use, and the service and support provided has been hugely beneficial in helping us recruit the right people for our roles.”

Jennifer Hartley, head of economic development at Newcastle City Council, added:

“It has been incredible to see people returning to the city centre last week as more and more businesses have been able to reopen, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors.

“It is so important that the city’s employers support local people back to work as they look to recruit new staff during this time.

“Jobs@SkillsHub helps get these local jobs out to local people looking for work, and we encourage employers to sign-up and play their part in helping our economic recovery.”