Business in the Community Awards
of Excellence - Neighbourhood Renewal Award
The Elite Group (Elite Forwarders
Ltd)
Back in March 2003, our friends at West Leeds
Family Learning Centre suggested that we should
enter the Business in the Community Awards
of Excellence and put forward the employment
programme we had set up at The Elite Group's
Head Office. The programme involved working
closely with WLFLC and aimed to recruit local
unemployed people.
People were interviewed on potential, regardless
of their previous work history or experience.
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A simulated work environment was set up in the warehouse
and a training programme was tailored to the needs
of the business. Local people were trained in the
skills and competencies that The Elite Group needed
and guaranteed a job, conditional upon the satisfactory
completion of the training programme.
Access to further training, in areas such as basic
skills (Maths and English), was available through
the partnership with West Leeds Family Learning Centre.
This gave The Elite Group access to a greater pool
of talent and meant they were able to recruit on potential,
not just on the skills already possessed by those
individuals.
The Elite Group had not considered this programme
as exceptional in the realms of recruitment, we just
knew it had worked successfully for us! We nevertheless
submitted the details of our programme to the Business
in the Community Awards and thought no more about
it.
On 2nd May 2003, we received an e-mail from Business
in the Community regarding the awards…we had
reached the final stages, which was a shortlist of
six companies from throughout the country!
We were invited down to the Department of Trade and
Industry in London to present details of the programme
to a panel of six judges on 16th May 2003.
Although we won’t know the final result until
July, we are very proud to have had our programme
recognised by Business in the Community.
For achieving a finalist status we have been awarded
the “Big Tick”, which acknowledges examples
of excellence and awards Companies who encourage best
practice in their organisation.
Key impacts of the employment programme, in partnership
with West Leeds Family Learning Centre include:
- As a result of this initiative we have established
a clear and positive image in the local community.
- Of the 300 new staff required 106 were recruited
through the programme.
- 46% of the 106 were previously unemployed for
over 12 months.
- 100% of all new staff trained in IT applications
as part of the programme.
- As a result of the programme the company has recruited
a local workforce with the right skills and a strong
loyalty to the company, which they report has resulted
in a reduced staff turnover.
- The reduction in unemployment in the community
has resulted in improvements in the quality of life
for the individuals and families
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