Powerful alliance set to create jobs for 1,400

A powerful alliance of organisations across the statutory and voluntary sectors is being forged to help deliver a Swansea programme of almost 1,400 new jobs.

The partnership is being created by two successful bids won by Swansea Council vocational training provider Employment Training and SCVS which have been tasked with overseeing the Government's Future Jobs Fund across the city and county.

Groups already on board to help create new work include the Swansea Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS), trades unions, sustainable transport charity Sustrans and homeless charity the Cyrenians. They all already carry out much work in Swansea.

Others signed up include the Youth Offending Team, Swansea Council's Youth Service and employment services and employment provider Remploy.

Employment Training manager Steve Harris said: "It was under three weeks ago that we were able to announce that ourselves and the SCVS had succeeded in winning the bid to deliver this programme.

"Since then a lot of hard work has gone in to building a strong network of associate bodies; they have all shown a great deal of enthusiasm and positivity for the scheme.

"We hope to start placing people in jobs around the Christmas and New Year period.

"The local authority already puts a great deal of work into providing jobs and this brings another good opportunity to engage with young people and to prepare them for the world of work."

All work created in Swansea by the £1bn UK-wide Future Jobs Fund must be carried out to the benefit of the local community. Existing jobs should not suffer and those employed will be in the 18-24 age range.

Chris Holley, Swansea Council Leader, said: "Many young people are finding it hard to access employment opportunities at the moment, so this funding will arrive at an important time and will give them the chance to learn key skills that will prove crucial in future."

Carol Green, director of Swansea Council for Voluntary Service, said: "There are certain hotspots in Swansea with deprivation on many levels, including economic inactivity, which affects families as well as individuals.

"We're delighted that the third sector in Swansea has been recognised with this successful bid for the Future Jobs Fund, and we're looking forward to helping reduce unemployment in these areas."