In partnership with City and East London District Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and the London Employer Accord, MITIE has adapted its Real Apprentice programme for people with a physical, cognitive or mental health disability. Sixteen real apprentices will be taking part in this unique nine week pilot which starts on 1 September 2009. 

Currently, the only thing missing in most recruitment initiatives for employers is a current track record and employer reference on performance, attendance and attitude. The Real Apprentice addresses this missing link. The nine week programme will give each apprentice the best possible workplace reference. 

The agreement with JCP and the London Employer Accord sees MITIE delivering all pre-placement and operational training as well as providing full on-site mentoring, an audit trail of the apprentices’ progress and guaranteed interviews at the end of the programme. Jobcentre Plus and The London Accord will also bring in external employers to interview for their roles alongside MITIE at the end of the scheme. 

As part of the preparation for the scheme, MITIE managers attended a workshop hosted by the London Accord, on working with disabled people confidently. 

Jobcentre Plus will be helping the participants to retain their full benefits, paying all travel allowances for the duration of the programme and assisting them the cost of work clothes and vetting.

This programme is a high priority for Jobcentre Plus and the Department for Work & Pensions. It has immense potential for shaping the support the Department provides for the most vulnerable, long-term unemployed to get back into work. The London Employer Accord will support the delivery of this pilot and produce an evaluation report offering recommendations based on the trainees’ journey. 

Jobcentre Plus offers a range of employer initiatives to recruit long-term unemployed; including work trials (the opportunity to try a job for a set period whilst remaining on benefits) and The Recruitment Subsidy, a potential £1000 payment to employers who recruit a candidate meeting set criteria. For more information visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/employers/advertiseavacancy 

The London Employer Accord is a publicly funded organisation that helps London’s unemployed secure work through employer-led training. Their philosophy is to work directly with employers to understand their specific recruitment needs and, in exchange for guaranteed interviews, enter into an agreement to fund and deliver the training. They work across all sectors and are funded through Jobcentre Plus, The London Development Agency (LDA) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). For more information, visit www.londonemployeraccord.com 

Jobcentre Plus is part of the Department for Work & Pensions. 

---ENDS--- 

For further information, contact: 

Emilie Aiglon, Marketing Manager, MITIE Group PLC
T: 020 7022 8427, M: 07917 521295, E: emilie.aiglon@mitie.co.uk

Notes for editors

What is MITIE?
We’re the strategic outsourcing and asset management company.

What does that mean in practice? Providing everything from strategic consultancy, to world-class delivery on the ground. From long-term infrastructure planning, to facilities management, property and engineering services. Our strategic input can add value at the highest level, while our practical management expertise can save customers money and maximise their returns.

At the same time, it’s not just what we do, but how we do it that makes us different. Our people are passionate about what they do, committed to working in partnership with their clients, and will always look for a fresh answer to a new challenge.

We work with our clients in three ways; some take full advantage of our whole range of expertise by buying the whole suite, others may only need one aspect of what we do:

Strategy and consultancy

+ Facilities and project management

+ Service delivery

In other words, we think, we manage, and we deliver.

The thinking phase is all about finding strategic answers to long-term challenges about assets and resources. Facilities and project management puts those plans in place, and our unrivalled range of services is one of the best in the business.

There’s a lot more to MITIE than you probably think. We’re a big company with big ambitions - a leading FTSE 250 support services business, with more than 50,000+ people, revenues in excess of £1.5bn, and a reputation for being the best.