Tesco leads shortlist for Local Employment Partnership Awards

A raft of top employers have been shortlisted for the first annual Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) Awards.

Tesco, Nissan Motors and Marriott Hotels are among the firms in the running to pick up a prize for their contribution to LEPs - the government's latest scheme to help long-term benefit claimants back into work.

The government has set a target of placing 250,000 long-term unemployed into jobs through LEPs by 2010. However, as of the beginning of June, just 9,000 people had found work through the scheme. Despite this slow start, more than 1,400 employers have now signed up and employment minister Stephen Timms said he was confident the target would be hit.

The winners will be selected by a judging panel that includes new CIPD chief executive Jackie Orme, CBI deputy director-general John Cridland and Chris Humphries, chief executive of the Commission for Employment and Skills. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 1 July.

Timms said: "The LEP Awards recognise those employers who go the extra mile to help some of the most disadvantaged jobseekers back into work, as well as celebrating the personal achievements of employees whose lives are being transformed by the scheme."

The Finalists

Employer award for work-life balance

• Capita Life and Pensions
• Tesco
• Tulip Cleaning Services

Employer award for best practice in recruitment

• Debenhams, North Wales
• London Central/ General Buses
• Tesco

The Village Hotel

• Employer award for best practice in career progression
• Marriott Hotels
• Norfolk County Services
• Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel

Partnership award for best practice in partnership working

• Coventry City Council
• Debenhams, Liverpool 1
• Nissan Motors
• Tameside Employment Partnership

Individual award for success in overcoming barriers to employment

• Mark Farrell (Asda, Harrogate)
• Muhammed Taher (Randstad Inhouse Services)
• Trevor Chandler (Coventry City Council)

Individual award for outstanding achievement in learning and training

• Gary Fuller (Exemplar Healthcare)
• Duncan Ferguson (Stellar UK)
• Chris Gernon (HSBC)