Brent Council has launched a year-long campaign to support residents facing job losses throughout the pandemic.
#KeepBrentWorking is a campaign aiming to raise awareness from residents and businesses of the support available through Brent’s Council-run and free-to-use jobs brokerage service, Brent Works.
Officers are working with businesses across London to place local residents into high-quality jobs.
The campaign also highlights the training and support on offer through its adult education college, Brent Start, which provides training and education to around 2,500 people a year on classes including ESOL, maths, English, IT and others.
During the pandemic, Brent Central had the highest proportion of workers on furlough, at 42 per cent. Brent North had 27pc.
Cllr Thomas Stephens, Brent’s lead member for business, education, employment and skills, said: “Recruiting local talent into our economy is key to the recovery from the recent shock of Covid.
“As a borough, we’re blessed to have incredible local talent and unparalleled diversity, and Brent Works is a skilled team working tirelessly to support local employers to tap into this – helping all our residents to realise their ambitions.”
The council has adapted its packages of professional support for businesses and offers regular one-to-one sessions with workers and job seekers in need of support, as well as frequent webinars and training sessions.
Brent Works is also working with employers to hire 16- to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit for six-month job placements and has received “expressions of interest” from 53 companies to provide 157 new jobs under a Kickstart Scheme.
There is also an obligation on developers in the borough to hire local workers, and contribute to the funding of Brent Works through the planning process using Section 106 obligations.
Cllr Stephens added: “I encourage all local employers in Brent to work in partnership with us to ensure everyone in Brent reaches their full potential, and join our campaign to Keep Brent Working.”
Visit the new jobs portal at brentworks.brent.gov.uk, which helps local businesses post jobs for potential recruits to access.
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