Serco to help tens of thousands of people out of long term unemployment and into work
Serco Group plc, the international service company, is pleased to announce that it has today been selected by the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as the preferred bidder for three Flexible New Deal contracts.
Serco is the preferred bidder for contracts in North, Mid & South-East Wales (North Wales); Coventry, Warwickshire, Staffordshire & The Marches (West Midlands); and Greater Manchester.
Delivery of Flexible New Deal will commence in October 2009, with contracts running for five years, during which time Serco will help tens of thousands of people in each of the three regions off Jobseeker's Allowance and into work.
Serco is drawing together a range of expert training, health and community organisations to provide tailored support to people including those with transferable skills from industries hit hardest by the recession. Our regional hubs in Cardiff, the West Midlands and Manchester will coordinate a unique, local network of private, public and third sector organisations.
Flexible New Deal contracts are expected to have a life-time indicative value of between £100-£125m each. The Greater Manchester contract is the exception, at twice the size, and is expected to have a life-time indicative value of between £200-250m. The contracts will be funded through a combination of service fee and performance-based payments, with Serco's subcontractors paid on the same basis.
Flexible New Deal is the Government's new initiative for individuals who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for over twelve months to help them into work and to stay in work. An increasing number of people are reaching twelve months' unemployment, with the figure currently standing at over 120,000 across the UK. Support will be focused around securing work by combining career planning and jobsearch skills with specialist services such as debt advice, top-up training and confidence-building.
Richard Johnson, Managing Director for Serco Welfare to Work, said:
"As the recession makes life increasingly tough, we need to give people who've been out of work for a long time every chance to find and retain a job. Flexible New Deal will make an enormous difference to the lives of individuals, their families and their communities. Rebuilding confidence, from the bottom up, starting with someone who has lost their job but wants to work, will help whole communities weather the recession and prosper in the future.
"We have spent the last year meeting people in North Wales, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester. The experience and insights of local unemployed people, employers and agencies offering existing help have been hugely valuable. As a result of what we have heard, we've designed an approach that will reach more local people with the help they need to get back into work. By working closely with local partners to coordinate services, we will be best-placed to meet the specific demands of each area."