Social inclusion is one of the greatest challenges facing modern economies. The pressures of constant changes in demand for goods and services and the advent of better communications and transport has meant many large manufacturing and service industries have had a adjust to cope with competition from all corners of the world. Many of these competitors having access to cheap labour and materials, this has resulted in significant levels of unemployment in communities dependent on declining industrial sectors or where new automated production processes have displaced the need for human labour.

Cocentra’s approach

• Since 1980 Cocentra’s partnering company has been undertaking a variety of projects for different Government Departments training and preparing long term unemployed people for regular full time employment. These projects cater for persons with differing needs and capabilities and include modules of particular National Vocational Qualifications and in some cases basic skills training (literacy and numeracy). Working mainly in inner city areas with people from aged 16 to 60 who have been unemployed for a minimum period of 6 months. Most importantly the participants have been coached to make them 'job ready' to be placed into work with large national or local employers. To date some 8,000 people have been placed into jobs through our various initiatives.
• Our partnering company has developed a design framework and delivery mechanism to encourage employers to recruit and train local people in particular local authority areas throughout the UK. We have produced 23 Local Labour initiative documents for various large employers, local authorities, development corporations (e.g. Manchester Airport Plc, (specifically aimed at the construction of Runway 2), Lambeth Borough Council (launched for their Brixton City Challenge Initiative), and Trafford Park Development Corporation.). More recently, we have expanded the scope of these initiatives to cover local subcontracting and purchasing.
• We can develop bespoke solutions to work with the Government's objectives for life long learning, focusing particularly on disadvantaged or excluded groups and those with basic skills needs.

If you would like to discuss our approach further please contact jacqui@cocentra.com

Alternatively, please call 0845 009 4010 and ask to talk to Jacqui, or order a Cocentra brochure.