A new employment initiative has been launched in Chesterfield with the aim of matching the recruitment needs of employers with the skills of local people.

Over the next 2 years, it is planned that the Chesterfield Employer Engagement project will play a key role in helping to find sustainable jobs for the long-term unemployed in some of the town’s most deprived wards.

The scheme, being funded by Chesterfield Borough Council and The Working Neighbourhood Fund follows the success of a similar project in Bolsover, will create more than 100 new jobs whilst helping more than 500 people to improve their skills.

This programme will work in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield Area Regeneration Team, Job Centre Plus and community voluntary organisations to drive down unemployment in the area.

The project will also make Chesterfield a more attractive proposition for inward investors and existing businesses that need to take on new staff by ensuring that jobseekers in the area have the necessary skills. The project will identify and enhance existing training opportunities for unemployed people, ensuring they are linked to the needs of local employers and the wider skills requirements of the area in years to come.

If you are a resident of Chesterfield and you need assistance in improving your skills, want information and assistance regarding local employment opportunities or require specific training to meet the standards for your preferred vocation, then please contact us to help.

For further information, please telephone 01246 212902 or email janet.howett@dncc.co.uk in the first instance.