Recruitment from “hard to reach groups”

Anchors can play a role in supporting local people access employment and develop their skills through the establishment of employment and training initiatives.

Such initiatives can transform the life chances of local residents in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the UK by providing opportunities and support for jobseekers, providing pre-recruitment training and job matching to local employers.

Case study – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

The Trust’s pre-employment training scheme offers a mixture of work experience and knowledge building around basic Maths and English. The programme runs for a total of six weeks. The first two weeks are spent training at Leeds City College, then the following four weeks are spent on a work placement within the Trust, with ongoing support and training (four days in work, one day in Leeds City College). The programme has a particular focus on building the confidence of the long-term unemployed.

The Trust also has a focus on promoting careers to young people in the local area, and has established a number of health career ambassadors and have a cohort of staff who go into schools in areas of high deprivation.