A free job-matching service launched this week is set to help Gateshead residents get into work and have a brighter future.
Gateshead Works is designed to provide employers with job-ready local workers, while providing residents with the support they need to find sustainable, quality employment locally.
The new job-brokerage service is being delivered by Gateshead Council in partnership with Gateshead College, Northumbria University and The Department for Work and Pensions.
They will work with existing and potential employers to access and develop the right talent, knowledge and skills to support their workforce needs.
Sheena Ramsey, the council's chief executive, said: "There are as many as 5,330 working age adults in the borough who are out of work.
"Businesses and employers repeatedly tell us that many people presenting for interview do not have the skills and attitudes required for work.
"These are the kind of problems that Gateshead Works will tackle, with the intention of bringing those people back into the workplace, giving them the confidence and skills, that unemployment can, and frequently does, take away.
"The borough's job situation has geographical variations, with some areas having a disproportionate number of people who are out of work and on benefits.
"We're confident that this new job-brokerage scheme will address these variations, offering hope and opportunity to those affected but also providing our thriving business community with local talent."
"This expansion means creating hundreds of new jobs around the world, with many of these being based in Gateshead.
"We've won a number of awards for both the things we do for our customers and for our colleagues, so it's likely that we'll be inundated with applications and so it's great that Gateshead Works can help with our recruitment."
Lucy Winskell, pro vice chancellor for employability and partnerships at Northumbria, said: "Northumbria has a strong track record of working in partnership with employers to recruit and develop employees with the right skills and knowledge.
"Being part of Gateshead Works provides a great way to enhance this collaborative approach and helps ensure we continue to provide the most appropriate support and access to talent."
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