Nissan’s HR director has hailed the value of Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs) after scooping the prize for Best Practice in Partnership Working at the scheme’s inaugural awards.
Danny Griffiths, Nissan’s HR Director, told Personnel Today that the scheme, designed to help disadvantaged jobseekers back into work, was great for both Nissan and Jobcentre Plus.
“It was a real success,” said Griffiths. “We’ve been working with Jobcentre Plus in several guises for about 20 years now, and this is just another example of the strong working relationship.”
Nissan’s Sunderland plant has grown to become the UK’s biggest car producer and exporter since it opened in 1986. A recent recruiting drive, aimed at hiring 800 people for a third shift to keep up with demand, brought in 265 new employees through the LEP programme.
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“I would definitely recommend it to other HR directors,” Griffiths said. “Working together with Sunderland city council and the government through Jobcentre Plus ended up being good for the local community as well.”
Nissan also provided a pre-employment training programme, which offered up to 50 places to applicants who needed more help with skills training before starting the Nissan application process.
