Hospital’s job pledge welcomed

The University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, formerly Wythenshawe Hospital, has pledged to do even more to help local people access its jobs.

The Trust, which employs more than 5,000 people, has signed a Local Employment Partnership (LEP) agreement with Jobcentre Plus.

The move is being supported by Manchester City Council as part of its wider city strategy which aims to ensure the city's residents are connected to the opportunities being created in its thriving knowledge economy.

The LEP agreement means that Jobcentre Plus will work with the Trust on initiatives such as work trials and pre-recruitment training to ensure people have the right skills to match them with job vacancies.

More than 25 per cent of the hospital's staff live locally and the figure is already rising due to a number of community and employment initiatives.

Kathryn Thomson, director of operations and human resources for the Trust, said: "We are the largest single employer in Wythenshawe and we are committed to creating routes to employment for local residents with the support of our partners. I am confidenct this pledge will lead to many more local people developing successful careers at our Trust."

Sue Murphy, the City Council's executive member for employment and skills, said: "I'm delighted to see one of our major employers taking the lead in ensuring that local people gain the maximum benefits from a success story on their doorstep. An estimated 150,000 new jobs are being created in the next 15 years and one of the biggest tasks we face as a city is ensuring our residents are ready and equipped for them. Our City Strategy has set the ambitious target of reducing worklessness by 12,500 by 2010."

Ian Marshall, external relations manager for Jobcentre Plus, said: "We want to give a fair chance to those who could be overlooked in the labour market and are pleased that this Trust has agreed to work with Jobcentre Plus and other partner organisations to unlock the talent in the local community."

Media contact:

Roger Williams, tel: 0161 234 3275