Recruitment Support

Working with Schools and Colleges

Schools in England are required to offer at least six encounters with approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education for all students. Together with The Careers & Enterprise Company and their Careers Hub network, early years and childcare providers can make the most of promoting these sectors directly to schools and colleges across England. Careers Hubs work with 92% of schools and colleges nationally and offer dedicated support through facilitated partnerships with employers and training providers to enhance careers guidance and pathway options across various sectors.

This initiative offers a valuable opportunity to inspire and guide young people in considering a career in early years' education. If you are interested in connecting with local institutions, please contact our local Careers Hub lead

Working with Jobcentre Plus

As an employer, Jobcentre Plus can help with your recruitment needs.  The DWP have launched an Early Years and Childcare campaign to improve the awareness and knowledge of the early years and childcare sector for Jobcentre Plus staff and support work coaches when discussing the sector as a career opportunity, to support more jobseekers to enter the sector at a vital time when demand is increasing.  As a local employer, you can find more at: Jobcentre Plus – working together with employers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Job Centre Plus also offer free job advertising and support with job adverts. They also have a database of candidates who they can refer to you for employment, they offer support and initiatives for employers to support employment and showcase your vacancies at local Jobs Fairs.

Job Centre Plus SWAP Programme

The Nottingham Job Centres offer a Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) for employers to support you in creating a skilled workforce for your business by helping prepare those receiving unemployment benefits to apply for jobs in a different area of work. 

Information on SWAP

A sector-based work academy can last up to 6 weeks, is administered by Job Centre Plus and is particularly useful for young people, but is open to all jobseekers aged 18+ years.

Placements are designed to help meet your immediate recruitment needs, as well as to recruit a workforce with the right skills to sustain and grow your business and have 3 main components:

1. Pre-employment training – matched to the needs of your business sector
2. Work experience placement – a great opportunity for your business to identify talent and for the individual to cement their knowledge and understanding of the required role
3. A guaranteed job interview or help with an employer’s recruitment process

Participants remain on benefits while on a SWAP placement and the government will pay any travel and childcare costs whilst benefit claimants are on the scheme.

How could your business benefit from offering SWAP Placements?

• No direct cost to you as an employer for offering a placement as all training and administration costs are covered by government funding
• This is a flexible programme that can be tailored to meet your recruitment and business needs
• You can recruit staff with the right training and skills from the outset, developed through fully-funded pre-employment training
• Benefit from an opportunity to provide work experience placements for potential employees to ensure they are suited to that type of role and your company
• Work experience placements allow developmental opportunities for existing employees, for example by working on their mentoring, supervisory and coaching skills
• Reduced risk within the overall process of recruiting new employees

To find out more information please click on the link : SWAP Programme