Recruitment service launched to open up world of work

A recruitment agency which will help long-term unemployed people back into work is being launched tomorrow (Thursday, January 31) with the support of One NorthEast.

People Acumen will explore ways of combining the opportunities offered by County Durhamís smaller enterprises with the ongoing task of getting more people to move into long-term work.

The service is being run by the Acumen Development Trust, the brainchild of Kate Welch, and has been made possible with 850,000 of Single Programme funding from the regional development agency.

The service will be based out of Acumenís new base on the South West Industrial Estate in Peterlee, but also has two outlets at Seaham and Bishop Auckland, with a third planned for Stanley.

Margaret Fay, Chairman of One NorthEast, will officially launch People Acumen and declare Acumen Development Trustís new premises officially open at a celebration event tomorrow.

Reporters and photographers are invited to the Acumen Development Trust celebration and the launch of People Acumen, which is being held at the new offices in Peterlee ñ 1 Palmer Road, South West Industrial Estate, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 2HU at 4pm, on Thursday, January 31.

Mrs Fay said: ìThe work done by Kate and her team at Acumen cannot be underestimated. Not only does the organisation target those people who are out of work and help them find sustainable employment, but it also works to boost skills levels, which is an essential element of the economic regeneration of our region.

ìPeople Acumen has been created to address the unemployment issues in the County Durham area, and to also meet the needs of local employers looking to expand their workforce. But whatís exciting about it is that it doesnít just aim to match out of work individuals with employers who are seeking staff, it also provides them both with support to ensure the match is as long lasting as possible.

ìIn effect, People Acumen is about promoting and driving sustainable economic growth, a key aim of the Regional Economic Strategy, and therefore I am delighted One NorthEast is supporting it.î

Acumen Development Trust was founded in 2003 to address the issues of economic inclusion and to provide a third sector solution to add to the public sector support available for learning, enterprise and employment.

In acknowledgement of the work it has done to reduce levels of unemployment and raise skills levels, particularly in the East Durham area, Acumen won the 2006 LSC Working in the Community Award for encouraging people into learning, while Kate Welch, a One NorthEast board member, was honoured with an OBE in the recent New Year Honours list for services to social enterprise in the North East.

Mrs Welch said: ìWe are pleased to have the opportunity to create a new social enterprise in the region which meets both the needs of individuals in our communities and also small employers.

ìToday is a celebration of the success we have had so far in addressing economic inclusion and anticipation of an exciting and enterprising future.î

The work of the Acumen Development Trust is linked closely to the RES, which aims to reduce the proportion of the North East workforce which are currently economically inactive and increase employment rates to around 73 per cent ñ which means getting between 61,000 and 73,000 extra people into employment by 2016.