Minister Praises SSP UK recruitment scheme at Newcastle Airport

A recruitment programme helping jobseekers into work with food travel experts, SSP UK at Newcastle International Airport has won praise from the Governmentís Employment Minister. Department for Work and Pensions Minister Tony McNulty visited the airport to meet people who have been helped into work through the Local Employment Partnership (LEP) scheme.

The Minister saw how SSP UK, the company which provides the catering services in the terminal, is working with Jobcentre Plus to offer unemployed people a route back into work. He met some of the 16 people helped into jobs by the scheme and others who are currently going through the recruitment process.

SSP UK has worked with Jobcentre Plus every year to fill seasonal vacancies at the airport, and in January 2008 signed up to the LEP scheme to help support disadvantaged jobseekers into work. In return Jobcentre Plus is currently helping with recruitment for 60 posts for the summer season and with Brenikov training is providing pre-employment support for 8 jobseekers.

Further government-backed training will be provided for the people successful at the recruitment stage to give them job-specific skills whilst their airport security clearance is obtained. They will have the opportunity to work with brands such as Starbucks, Burger King, Ritazza and the Real Food Company.

Tony McNulty, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform said:

ìEveryone should have the opportunity to support themselves and their families. I am delighted to see first-hand how, despite the difficult economic circumstances, schemes like this one have helped those at a disadvantage in the jobs market to get back into work. More than 5,200 employers have signed up to work with us in the North East, and Local Employment Partnerships have helped over 8,000 people in the region into work. Many more will now be able to benefit from it as the extra money allocated in the Pre-Budget report last November means weíve been able to extend it to people who have just lost their jobs too.î

Stephen Wafer, SSP UK Operations Manager at Newcastle Airport said:

ìSSP UK has been working alongside Job Centre Plus for the past 12 months and their refreshing approach to recruitment continues to meet our employment needs. Thanks to their involvement in the LEP scheme, we benefit from their resources to ensure that the people we employ have a solid base knowledge in their required area and more importantly, have the motivation and drive to develop their skills, to become Food Travel Experts.

ìWeíre thrilled that the Minister has taken the time to visit one of our recruitment sessions and it is a testament to the importance of this great working partnership.î

Graeme Mason, head of planning and corporate affairs at Newcastle International Airport, said: ìWe are delighted that the Minister has visited the airport to see what is being done between our catering provider SSP and Jobcentre Plus to create employment opportunities here at Newcastle International.

ìThe airport supports a large number of jobs in a wide range of fields, and the work we are doing in conjunction with Newcastle College to upskill the regionís workforce is an extremely important part of our business. Newcastle International Airport is critical to the region and will be key to the economic recovery of the North East when it comes.î