Partnering with council’s employment and skills team can be a win-win for Derby

Derby City Council’s Employment and Skills Team provides tailored recruitment support to businesses throughout the city. It aims to help growing businesses find the right people, while at the same time enhance job opportunities for the local workforce. And the good thing is, it does all of this for free. Here, James Hicklin, business engagement manager, explains the range of services on offer – and how the team can support your business.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your role, and that of the Skills and Employability Team.

I am James Hicklin, the business engagement manager for Derby City Council’s Employment and Skills Team.

Our team is dedicated to supporting and engaging with local businesses in Derby to aid recruitment by providing tailored support through a range of recruitment activities and brokerage support, enabling employers to recruit the talent they require. This is a free service to employers.

Our service also includes advice on apprenticeships, navigating the Apprenticeship Levy, supporting on delivering against social value, helping businesses become more Disability Confident and a more inclusive employer and school engagement.

Our focus is to provide solutions that support growing businesses while also enhancing opportunities for the local workforce and young people via the Derby Jobs Employment and Skills Hub.

Tell us more about the new Derby Jobs Employment and Skills Hub.

The Derby jobs Employment Hub provides a one-stop-shop for both businesses and job seekers.

It brings together resources for recruitment, training, and skills development, making it easier for employers to find the talent they need and for job seekers to access the range of opportunities that support them into employment.

We are proud to be a part of this new approach to employment for Derby, and we’re confident it will have a lasting positive impact on the local economy.

What is your overall aim and purpose?

Our aim is to ensure that businesses in Derby can thrive through diverse recruitment strategies that are not only effective but also inclusive.

We work to create recruitment solutions that align with the needs of businesses while offering meaningful and inclusive placement and employment opportunities for our priority cohorts.

What kind of services do you offer?

The Employment and Skills Team offers a wide range of services that can be tailored to the specific needs of businesses.

These include:

*General recruitment support such as recruitment fairs, Derby Jobs Weekly and matching participants to jobs.

*Advice on inclusive recruitment practices such as informational webinars and events.

*Marketing and promotion of opportunities.

*Community engagement initiatives such as introducing employers to community organisations, increasing engagement with our local communities.

*Future workforce engagement through schools and colleges, with activities led through E4E (Enterprise 4 Education) scheme.

*Skills development and training. For example, Training in2 Employment Programmes and Skills Bootcamp.

*Information on available grants and loans such as the Apprenticeship Levy.

*Redundancy to employment support – working with employers to support the transition of talent and reduce the likelihood of unemployment.

Our approach is always tailored to the unique needs of each business to ensure that they receive the most relevant and effective support.

Social mobility is seen as a particular challenge in Derby. How do you see your work making a difference?

Our work directly addresses the challenges of social mobility by creating specific pathways for individuals from our more socially deprived wards to access meaningful employment.

We work closely with businesses to foster inclusive recruitment practices that open doors for underrepresented groups.

Additionally, we provide training and development opportunities to help individuals upskill and improve their career prospects.

By bridging the gap between employers and job seekers, we aim to create a more equitable and accessible jobs market in Derby.

We have run many different events within the community to aid social mobility such as refugee jobs roadshows, linking community groups to employers, delivering events with our neighbourhood teams and running social value projects, such as those linked to the Becketwell development.

In what ways do you engage people who are wanting to upskill and find work?

The Derby jobs Employment and Skills Hub engages with local residents by offering personalised support to help them identify and seize employment opportunities.

We provide IAG accredited careers advice, employability training, match individuals to available vacancies, and guide them towards further training that can enhance their skills into employment.

Whether someone is just starting their career or looking to transition into a new field, we offer a range of services that help people take the next step towards employment.

Tell us more about Derby Jobs Weekly.

Derby Jobs Weekly is a newsletter distributed to over 5,000 subscribers, advertising local job vacancies, training opportunities, and signposting to support services.

It is designed to provide a weekly one-stop information update for anyone seeking employment or professionals supporting individuals into employment.

It connects job seekers to the latest opportunities in Derby and ensures that they have access to information that can help them succeed into employment.

In terms of employers, how can you help firms looking to recruit?

We offer bespoke recruitment solutions tailored to each business’s needs.

This can vary depending on the specific challenges and recruitment goals of the business.

Whether a company is looking for inclusive recruitment advice, support with marketing their vacancies, or workforce development, we provide comprehensive assistance that helps businesses find, upskill and retain their talent.

Are there any financial incentives for businesses?

Although there are no general financial incentives currently available, our services are completely free.

We work closely with businesses to identify potential grants, levies, and other funding opportunities they may be eligible for.

As a no-cost service, we are dedicated to helping businesses maximise available support, funding and resources without any financial implications.

How do employers looking to recruit find out whether they are eligible for support?

Our support is available to all businesses within Derby city and travel to work areas.

Whether a business is large or small, we can provide tailored recruitment and skills development assistance.

Employers can reach out to us to discuss their needs, and we will guide them through the support options available.

Tell us about some of the success stories you’ve had – both from an employee and employer perspective.

We have been actively working with Severn Trent as they have recently taken great strides to increase social value.

Setting out their plan to help 100,000 people over the next 10 years, we have partnered with them to deliver Big Boost events in Derby connecting hundreds of local jobseekers with employers while also including workshops completely free on the day to support CV and interview skills.

We also ran a Training in2 Employment course where Severn Trent gave guaranteed interviews to all those completing the training course.

We have also connected them with many community groups across the city to help boost their reach to people that need help and support, and we regularly feature their vacancies in our Derby Jobs weekly Newsletter.

We recently partnered with Wates Group on a training-to-employment course, securing guaranteed interviews.

We’ve also collaborated with them on social value projects focused on diverse groups, recently securing employment for a care experienced young person and SEND learner.

We have worked with many businesses across the city on similar activities to the above such as Derbyshire Constabulary, JD Sports, Rolls-Royce and Alstom to name a few.

Through our Training in2 Employment opportunities we supported 89 local residents into work last year with a further 185 local residents into work through other avenues as described above, having supported over 200 employers across the city to recruit their talent.

We deliver an effective and successful model of support that works for both employers and jobseekers, creating a win-win situation for the city.

Where can we find out more about the services you offer, and how can we get in touch?

You can visit the webpage https://www.derby.gov.uk/business/business-support-advice/derby-jobs-recruitment-support/#page-1 or send us an e-mail at Employmentandskills@derby.gov.uk. We are always here to discuss how we can support your business needs.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We are committed to working with businesses of all sizes and sectors to create a thriving local economy.

Whether you’re looking to recruit, upskill your workforce, or engage with the local community, our team is here to help.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to explore how we can support your business.