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The Local Government Employers (LGE) has praised an HR partnership that succeeded in raising almost £100,000 from government to improve diversity.
The Essex Strategic HR Partnership, made up of 14 borough, district, unitary and county councils, used the cash to pay for a ground-breaking project to investigate how to recruit a more diverse workforce.
In November 2006, the project targeted black, minority ethnic, disabled and young people. It modernised its Careers in Essex portal to raise awareness of apprenticeships on offer, and increased the opportunity to advertise jobs on external websites.
Joan Seaton, head of employment at the LGE, told Personnel Today: "The Essex initiative is one of the best examples of collaborating on specific HR issues.
"Many authorities are consulting with their local communities more to maximise their pulling power."
Essex Strategic HR Partnership project leader Jacqui Robins said the internet was proving to be a valuable tool in targeting specific groups for recruitment.
