The purpose of the
Development Partnership is to pilot and evaluate how human resource
policy and practices in local health trusts and local government
can be developed to increase access to jobs, within these sectors,
for people who are furthest from the labour market.
Essentially the project
will examine the cause and effect relationships between recruitment
and selection processes for entry level jobs, and the barriers
encountered by people wanting to return to the labour market in
these sectors.
Issues tested will
include the impact of long-term unemployment, economic inactivity,
and benefit dependency and qualification levels as obstacles to
gaining work which are potentially amplified by selection criteria
currently specified by public agencies for entry level jobs.
The Employability
Access Project has the opportunity to pilot recruitment and selection
practices that proactively seek to engage those most disenfranchised
in the job market. The project will demonstrate a comprehensive
employability continuum that can impact positively on employment
inequalities and how mainstream policies and practices can be
influenced to promote social exclusion.
