A Clowne-based sign-making company is one of the first firms to have benefitted from the help of an innovative project aimed at supporting businesses with their recruitment needs and helping the long-term unemployed in Bolsover find new and sustainable jobs.

Victory Design, based in Creswell Road, approached the Bolsover Training and Enterprise Initiative (BETI) for assistance in recruiting a number of new sales and business development staff to help it expand.

It also received support to recruit and train two new apprentices to fill marketing and production roles. 

Justin Hines, Sales Director of Victory Design, said: “The support we have got from the BETI team has been fantastic. We were having issues with advertising the vacancies we had via some of the more traditional methods and also attracting the right calibre of candidate for the roles we had available.

“We have recruited for seven new positions plus a re-advertisement via the BETI project and thanks to the support it has given us, we have received larger number of possible applicants to choose from, and fewer unsuitable candidates applying for roles, which saves a lot of time.

“The BETI team also made us aware of the fully-funded adult apprenticeship programme at Chesterfield College, which has enabled us to access free training to increase the skills of our current workforce.”

Business Engagement Officer Ian Bates added: “The project’s success in helping Victory Design to find eight candidates for jobs is a clear demonstration of how BETI can support business along with reducing the time and costs involved in the recruitment process consequently allowing them to focus on their day-to-day tasks.

“The main aim of the project is to provide local residents with short, job-focused skills training courses and improving soft skills such as confidence building in order to support personal growth, whilst helping new and existing businesses in their recruitment process.”

The BETI project is a two-year scheme which aims to help get more than 100 local people into jobs before March 2012. It is funded by Bolsover District Council through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and delivered by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce.
 
Ian Bates added: “This is an innovative programme that will help both businesses and the long term unemployed. It will not only equip people with the skills they need to find work, but the training we're providing will also benefit the firms that take them on. We'll be actively targeting businesses which are re-locating to the area as well as helping existing companies to recruit suitable staff.”

If your business is based in Chesterfield or Bolsover and you need help recruiting staff then call Ian Bates on 07973 251 409.  For further information, log onto www.beti.org.uk.