McDonalds, Asda and Royal Mail are among the big-name employers that have made it onto the shortlist for the regional Local Employment Partnership (LEP) Awards 2009.
The event, run by Job Centre Plus, was introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to recognise the important role employment partnerships are playing in getting people back to work.
The scheme is on target to get 250,000 long-term unemployed people back into work by 2010. With the extra money allocated in the Pre-Budget report last November, people who have just lost their jobs will now be able to benefit, the DWP added.
Jobcentre Plus received a staggering 1,000 entries to this year’s awards, which began in 2008.
Winners will automatically be entered into the national awards, to be on 9 June this year and hosted by Tim Campbell, winner of the first series of The Apprentice and founder of the Bright Ideas Trust.
